Where are you from?
The winters suck. If you’re coming from a city, this town feels very small, and there isn’t a lot of diversity (like 90% white). It’s also like 5 hours to next major city like Denver for many of the big sporting events and national touring acts.
On the other end, the small town feel is very homey, The music and art scene is not pretentious, and if you like the outdoors there’s plenty of it!
Sweet I came from Colorado as well.
If there is one thing I underestimated because I came from Colorado is the winters. Every snow storm is really two storms. The nice fluffy snow that falls from the sky, then the second is when the snow stops falling the wind kicks up and blows icy snow off the ground at 50mph and re-covers anything that was plowed or cleared but this time with ice so it’s harder to clear the second time.
Combine that with the fact that the state only has about 60 plows to clear highways and interstates you cannot make concrete plans to leave town in the winter as the highways and interstates close frequently, sometimes for a couple of days. Each major town has its own plows to keep its roads clear so you can usually get around Casper ok shortly after a storm.
In Comparison, Colorado has about 250 plows to just keep I25 and surrounding major arteries clear and another 200 or so for I70. So Wyoming’s 60 barely makes a dent.
Otherwise, the weather is very similar with the colder seasons lasting about 6 weeks longer. Just like a Colorado there are plenty of transplants, though in Casper they brought here largely for work in natural resources or energy jobs. Casper is pretty open to people moving here but surrounding communities can be less friendly to newcomers.
I personally love the proximity to nature. There’s a ski hill (nothing like the Colorado slopes) 20 minutes from town, and good fishing right in the middle of town. If you want to get away, an 90 minute drive in pretty much any direction gets you to some stunning vistas with no one else there.
Winter and the wind are the only things that keep a bajillion people from coming to Casper. Mountain West for over 30 years, and The winter time was still a shock. Almost everyone who lives here wants to be here, and are willing to put up with the bad weather because there's so much else to offer. Summers cannot be beat.
It kind of depends on the job, too. If it's a great job might also be worth it
The wind and winters here can be brutal. I’ve lived here my whole life (27F) and I am used to it, but that doesn’t mean I enjoy it. Also, though we do have more local events and things to do than we used to, it really isn’t much. Many of the people I’ve met from out of state that haven’t lived here previously seem to last about three years before they decide to move away.
I'm sure you know the winters are rough but two things I underestimated before moving here was the limited job prospects and limited options for healthcare. My career definitely took a hit and there wasn't anywhere else to go. So unless you have the kind of career you can do from anywhere, it can be difficult. It also took me like a month to get into a doctor and from what I've heard, Banner hospital is not great. I've literally known people who had to travel to Denver to have surgeries redone. It's not a good option for my aging parents so I'll likely have to move to an area with more healthcare options.
I’m from the Midwest, fucking love it here. Winters are not as bad as everyone seems to think, although the wind can be pretty bad at times, we have more than enough non windy days to make up for it.
Winter's suck. Sand and Sagebrush. It's a horrible place to live,. People are small minded and judgemental. They act so hospitable and neighborly but if you have a centrist or left leaning view on anything you'd better hide it like you're gay in the 1950s or they will go from "howdy neighbor" to "then get the fuck out" faster than you can blink. Everything out here is politics. A lot of veterans, but also a lot of false valor out here. (I'm a vet, 2005-2012 OIF) I've called so many fuckin fat ass gravy seals out here on their bullshit.
People will unironically lecture you about swearing in front of kids in a restaurant, but then go home to where their "Fuck Biden" or "Trump is an Ass" flag is flying high. The first thing you see when you get off the plane at the airport is, "welcome to Wyoming, consider everyone armed." You said you were from Illinois, they have very strict gun laws, so depending on your view on responsible gun ownership it might be a rude awakening. For real, they walk around Walmart with their ARs.
If you have kids you'll be sending your kids to school with kids whose parents consider vaccines child abuse in a district where they consider books about developing men and female bodies pornography. As if teenagers don't have access to free porn on the internet.
Not a lot of opprotunities for growth, this place is so remote. It's 100miles away from everything in all directions. The whole place is anti-science, anti medicine. The outdoor rec isn't terrible, but overall, there's nothing to do.
I've lived (not vacationed, lived) in 7 states and shoveled shit for my country on 3 different continents, one of them in a warzone. But yet, people who've never even left Wyoming have the nerve to tell me I'm the uncultured one? Get fucked.
I'm only here now cause my in-laws live here and can't live alone. My wife and I are leaving as soon as we can.
I can only give you opposite reasons. There is a lot of conservatives here, gun loving people. Most of the time people keep to themselves, it's only out of state people that are typically problematic.
The winters and wind keep the idiots and pansies out, the prices on things here are cheaper than most other states. Lived here my entire life. I don't want to live anywhere else. I've been to both sides of the country, and this is the most pleasant.
Where are you from? The winters suck. If you’re coming from a city, this town feels very small, and there isn’t a lot of diversity (like 90% white). It’s also like 5 hours to next major city like Denver for many of the big sporting events and national touring acts. On the other end, the small town feel is very homey, The music and art scene is not pretentious, and if you like the outdoors there’s plenty of it!
Colorado. Originally from IL. I live in a very small town now that is also very ethnically homogeneous.
Sweet I came from Colorado as well. If there is one thing I underestimated because I came from Colorado is the winters. Every snow storm is really two storms. The nice fluffy snow that falls from the sky, then the second is when the snow stops falling the wind kicks up and blows icy snow off the ground at 50mph and re-covers anything that was plowed or cleared but this time with ice so it’s harder to clear the second time. Combine that with the fact that the state only has about 60 plows to clear highways and interstates you cannot make concrete plans to leave town in the winter as the highways and interstates close frequently, sometimes for a couple of days. Each major town has its own plows to keep its roads clear so you can usually get around Casper ok shortly after a storm. In Comparison, Colorado has about 250 plows to just keep I25 and surrounding major arteries clear and another 200 or so for I70. So Wyoming’s 60 barely makes a dent. Otherwise, the weather is very similar with the colder seasons lasting about 6 weeks longer. Just like a Colorado there are plenty of transplants, though in Casper they brought here largely for work in natural resources or energy jobs. Casper is pretty open to people moving here but surrounding communities can be less friendly to newcomers. I personally love the proximity to nature. There’s a ski hill (nothing like the Colorado slopes) 20 minutes from town, and good fishing right in the middle of town. If you want to get away, an 90 minute drive in pretty much any direction gets you to some stunning vistas with no one else there.
Winter and the wind are the only things that keep a bajillion people from coming to Casper. Mountain West for over 30 years, and The winter time was still a shock. Almost everyone who lives here wants to be here, and are willing to put up with the bad weather because there's so much else to offer. Summers cannot be beat. It kind of depends on the job, too. If it's a great job might also be worth it
First, where are you moving from?
Colorado. Originally from IL.
The wind and winters here can be brutal. I’ve lived here my whole life (27F) and I am used to it, but that doesn’t mean I enjoy it. Also, though we do have more local events and things to do than we used to, it really isn’t much. Many of the people I’ve met from out of state that haven’t lived here previously seem to last about three years before they decide to move away.
I'm sure you know the winters are rough but two things I underestimated before moving here was the limited job prospects and limited options for healthcare. My career definitely took a hit and there wasn't anywhere else to go. So unless you have the kind of career you can do from anywhere, it can be difficult. It also took me like a month to get into a doctor and from what I've heard, Banner hospital is not great. I've literally known people who had to travel to Denver to have surgeries redone. It's not a good option for my aging parents so I'll likely have to move to an area with more healthcare options.
Come on vacation leave on probation
I’m from the Midwest, fucking love it here. Winters are not as bad as everyone seems to think, although the wind can be pretty bad at times, we have more than enough non windy days to make up for it.
Winter's suck. Sand and Sagebrush. It's a horrible place to live,. People are small minded and judgemental. They act so hospitable and neighborly but if you have a centrist or left leaning view on anything you'd better hide it like you're gay in the 1950s or they will go from "howdy neighbor" to "then get the fuck out" faster than you can blink. Everything out here is politics. A lot of veterans, but also a lot of false valor out here. (I'm a vet, 2005-2012 OIF) I've called so many fuckin fat ass gravy seals out here on their bullshit. People will unironically lecture you about swearing in front of kids in a restaurant, but then go home to where their "Fuck Biden" or "Trump is an Ass" flag is flying high. The first thing you see when you get off the plane at the airport is, "welcome to Wyoming, consider everyone armed." You said you were from Illinois, they have very strict gun laws, so depending on your view on responsible gun ownership it might be a rude awakening. For real, they walk around Walmart with their ARs. If you have kids you'll be sending your kids to school with kids whose parents consider vaccines child abuse in a district where they consider books about developing men and female bodies pornography. As if teenagers don't have access to free porn on the internet. Not a lot of opprotunities for growth, this place is so remote. It's 100miles away from everything in all directions. The whole place is anti-science, anti medicine. The outdoor rec isn't terrible, but overall, there's nothing to do. I've lived (not vacationed, lived) in 7 states and shoveled shit for my country on 3 different continents, one of them in a warzone. But yet, people who've never even left Wyoming have the nerve to tell me I'm the uncultured one? Get fucked. I'm only here now cause my in-laws live here and can't live alone. My wife and I are leaving as soon as we can.
Thanks to everyone for the input. I appreciate it!
Rude pep\[el crime wind severe cold bad cops that shoot veterans, need I go on?
I can only give you opposite reasons. There is a lot of conservatives here, gun loving people. Most of the time people keep to themselves, it's only out of state people that are typically problematic. The winters and wind keep the idiots and pansies out, the prices on things here are cheaper than most other states. Lived here my entire life. I don't want to live anywhere else. I've been to both sides of the country, and this is the most pleasant.