Could we live there? Star Valley Ranch, WY

There was only one reason we visited Star Valley Ranch, WY and that was because Michelle’s brother, Ryan, and his family recently moved there and have fallen absolutely in love with #livingtheWYOlife. The town itself is incredibly small, with fewer than 2,000 residents, but it has three golf courses! The nearest major city, Jackson, is a 45 minute drive and Grand Teton National Park is only an hour away.

Scenic Beauty: 9/10

Tucked in between mountains, with views of the Tetons in every direction, Star Valley can’t get much higher in scenic beauty. Grand Teton is one of our favorite national parks and being only an hour’s drive from it is an absolute perk of this location. Getting to see the Milky Way at night is a scenic beauty bonus!

Weather/Climate: 6/10

The summer is perfect! Mild temperatures and highs in the 80s that cool off each night. Six months of the year with snow and average temperatures in the teens in the winter make this a hard pass for Michelle!

Arts and Culture: 1/10

This tiny town has golf courses, and not much else. Nearby Jackson has a small dinner theatre and some live music options in bars, but that’s about all. The nearest major metropolitan area to see any touring musicians or Broadway shows would be Salt Lake City, a four hour drive.

Food: 3/10

Lots of small ranches and farms mean we could definitely eat local for much of the year, but the nearest major grocery store is in Jackson. There are two restaurants in Star Valley and a handful in nearby Thayne. Mostly diner or American cuisine. We’d have to drive to Jackson in order to have the kind of meal out that we enjoy and prefer.

Alignment with our values: 3/10

Wyoming is both the least populated state and least densely populated state in the US. In our observation, the state has a very “you do your thing and I’ll do mine” attitude, which is good… to a point.

+1 Bonus Point for being near to family

Star Valley Ranch, WY Grand Total: 23/50

We will absolutely be back to visit (in the summer!) and can’t wait to spend many more hours exploring Grand Teton and Jackson with family. We’re here for #livingtheWYOlife for short stretches of time, but not on a permanent basis.

Clockwise from top left: one of Star Valley Ranch's three golf courses, delicious cookies from a local baker, healthy brunch from Cultivate Cafe in Jackson, three views of the Tetons from inside Grand Teton National Park