I've been in WY for 10 years and like it, but it is no paradise. You have to look at where the capital of the state is and how that is going. As the capital goes so goes the rest of the state.
All the southern CA libs moved to Denver and F#@ked up that whole state. Now the libs can't stand what they made and are moving to Cheyenne. Once they take over the politcs of Cheyenne I will be forced to live under their rules even though I am 450 miles away.
I share your concerns. The bad economy is kind of a blessing in that regard because a lot of the people who were moving here were "equity immigrants" who cashed out in high end states. With the real estate crash, there are less potential immigrants these days. We also see people from places like coastal areas of California who move into a nice house in the country during the summer, then experience climate shock when winter rolls around. Some of these people are looking to move within 2-3 years We actually need more people who think like us to move here, and we can hold on to our lifestyle for longer.
Aside from the potential downside, we really like it here and will stay as long as encroachment in the form of liberal politics or crime does not become a problem.
Our playground in the mountains is hour and a half away. Hunting seasons are too short compated to the south, but the variety of species allows us to string along different seasons and get something approaching two and a half months if we bowhunt. We don't get into snowmobiling, but there is a long season for that. There is no income tax, sales taxes are reasonable, property taxes are reasonable, and the state will pay for a good chunk of residents' college tuition at UW. Living in the southern part of the state, if we just have to have a big city fix, we are 45 minutes from Fort Collins and an hour and a half from Denver. When we have to go somewhere, we fly out of Denver International Airport.
