Pros And Cons of Living In Jackson Hole
Are you thinking of moving to Jackson Hole and wondering what it’s really like to live here? In this episode of Jackson Hole Revealed, we’re going to give you the good, the bad, and the ugly of living in Jackson Hole. We’ll explore everything from national parks to housing prices so you’ll know exactly what you can expect.
Why People Love Jackson Hole
While living in Jackson Hole has challenges, we first want to share the great opportunities we have to offer. We’re going to start by giving you the top five reasons people love living here.
#1: The scenery. The very first and most obvious reason people love living here is the beautiful scenery. This isn’t just any town in the USA; the Grand Teton National Park is literally our backdrop here. Every day we get to live with wildlife such as moose, bear, eagles, and more.
#2: The adventure. Jackson Hole is not your typical mountain town. As we’ve mentioned, Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park are close by. We have 3.4 million miles of national forest surrounding us with large lakes, endless miles of hiking, and world-class skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. We also have a long network of paved bike trails that lets everybody go all over the valley. Since it’s flat, it allows for all age groups. If you are an adventure seeker, this is the place for you.
#3: A favorable tax climate. Wyoming has no income tax, no inheritance tax, no estate tax, and no corporate income tax. Wyoming is ranked the number one in favorable tax climate by Forbes and the Tax Foundation, time and time again.
#4: It’s a great place to raise a family. With very little crime and a variety of outdoor activities, kids thrive here in Jackson Hole. There are fantastic Blue Ribbon schools, both public and private, including the Wilson school where our daughter went to elementary school. No hour to hour iPad watching in Jackson; kids get outside and they have fun.
#5: Our town. Jackson is a wonderful town with over 50 restaurants from barbecue pits to fine dining. We have a fantastic world-class events center, which hosts events throughout the year. We also have a major airport with direct flights flying in and out of Jackson Hole daily. Of course, there’s the iconic town square and the Wildlife Museum that’s world-famous. Jackson is also rich in history. We have tales of outlaws and settlers—and even Butch Cassidy once hung out here.
The Cons Of Living In Jackson Hole
Now that you’ve heard a list of the pros, let’s give you the low down on some of the cons of living here—because not everything is perfect. And if you’re serious about moving here, you need to know everything.
#1: It’s expensive. Did you know that Jackson Hole is a very expensive place to live? Yes, that’s correct. Real estate is expensive and so is the cost of living. Why? There’s a lot of demand and a serious lack of supply. Jackson only has so much available private land, which is what makes Jackson so special. This, in turn, drives prices up.
Townhomes and condos are priced anywhere from $500,000 to $1.5 million. Single-family homes can range from $1 million to $4 million, and luxury homes and resort properties are priced anywhere between $3 million and as high as $20 million.
#2: We have long winters. If you can deal with the high prices in Jackson Hole, the next thing you need to get used to are the long winters. That’s right, it’s freezing cold here. Winter lasts from November through April, so you’ll need to bundle up. It’s sunny, but it is cold.
#3: Traffic. Jackson does not have daily traffic issues that a lot of people experience in cities, but we do have an extremely high volume of summer tourists. This creates quite a few traffic issues during the summer months. We also have a rush to powder skiing in the winter, which creates near bumper-to-bumper traffic on the way to the ski resort on many of our powder days. The crowded roads can get frustrating, but it is a fact of life when you live in a top 10 vacation destination.
Is Jackson Hole Right For You?
I hope this gave you a little insight into the pros and cons of living in Jackson Hole. We help people move and relocate every day, so if you have any questions or need any assistance, please feel free to reach out to us.
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