In the fall of 2017, then Hot Springs High School senior Stormy Cox wrote of her home state: “In my heart I would love to stay in Wyoming … The majority of my family lives in Wyoming. It’s hard to leave all of them behind and be on my own. If I could stay in Wyoming and still pursue my dreams I would.”
Her sentiments were collected as part of a project that I and Felicity Barringer, Writer In Residence at the Bill Lane Center for the American West, undertook. The goal was to understand young people’s attitudes about a future in their hometowns and in the state. We asked Cox and a couple dozen of her classmates where they envisioned themselves in five years and what it would take for them to stay or, if they do leave, to return to Wyoming.
‘Love it and leave’: The choices facing Wyoming’s youth
Wyoming has long contended with a large outmigration of young people. (Illustration by Eda Uzunlar)
In the fall of 2017, then Hot Springs High School senior Stormy Cox wrote of her home state: “In my heart I would love to stay in Wyoming … The majority of my family lives in Wyoming. It’s hard to leave all of them behind and be on my own. If I could stay in Wyoming and still pursue my dreams I would.”
Her sentiments were collected as part of a project that I and Felicity Barringer, Writer In Residence at the Bill Lane Center for the American West, undertook. The goal was to understand young people’s attitudes about a future in their hometowns and in the state. We asked Cox and a couple dozen of her classmates where they envisioned themselves in five years and what it would take for them to stay or, if they do leave, to return to Wyoming.
Jackson Holeâs cost of living is putting up a roadblock for Teton County nonprofits that provide senior care, shelter for teens in crisis and subsidized mental health care, among other services.
âOur budget is . almost entirely salaries and benefits,â Patti Boyd, executive director of the Childrenâs Learning Center, told the Jackson Town Council and Teton County Board of County Commissioners during a day of budget meetings Thursday. âWhen we canât keep up with even the hourly rate that places like our new grocery store or our upcoming REI store can offer people, weâre in danger of losing really good people.â
The dispatch center that responds to 911 calls in Teton County is close to being fully staffed at the start of budget season.
But the high cost of living in and around Jackson Hole may mean itâs not yet out of the woods.
Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr told the Teton County Board of County Commissioners and Jackson Town Council as much during an all-day series of budget meetings Wednesday.
He said his department was budgeting to fully staff the center for the âfirst time.â Thatâs a significant step in the recent history of the dispatch operation, which serves the Teton County Sheriffâs Office, Jackson Police Department, Teton County Search and Rescue, Jackson Hole Fire/EMS, the National Elk Refuge and occasionally Grand Teton National Park.