Star Valley, Wyoming Real Estate
Star Valley Real Estate an Opportunist's Dream
Star Valley, Wyoming, stretches 14 miles wide and 50 miles long between the Salt River Range and the Caribou National Forest, which extends into Idaho. Many settlements along Star Valley have a name but no official township. And not a single community has more than about 2,000 people. This means prime Jackson Hole real estate for some: raw land and a rural setting with a sweeping sense of privacy. Three national forests, the Bridger-Teton, Targhee, and Caribou, surround fertile Star Valley, lending a further sense of remoteness and beauty.
Settlers had bumped along the first government-built wagon trail, grinding to a pit-stop in what became a gold rush in the hills around Star Valley's southernmost town, Afton. A drive up Star Valley reveals cows grazing and plenty of farmland thriving with grain and feeder crops. Creameries played a tasty role in the local Star Valley economy and just a few years back people would drive from all parts of Wyoming for locally-made cheeses. The factory no longer operates but Star Valley has earned the moniker “Little Switzerland.” Dairy farming still weighs in heavily. Horses also make up a large part of the passing landscapes of Star Valley real estate.
Alas, the area of Star Valley, Wyoming, seems all but forgotten on a drive down Highway 89 in north Lincoln County. Don’t let the lack of traffic fool you. This stretch of wilderness has been discovered by sportsmen and Jackson Hole real estate buyers that depend little on the local agriculture economy. Seasonality does not affect their revved up pastimes. When people in Star Valley put away their boats and ATVs, Star Valley real estate owners take out their snowmobiles. Average temperatures in the summer range between 40 and the mid-80s Fahrenheit. Winter dips well below zero although averages are a bit higher at 5° to 40° Fahrenheit. Spring and fall rarely see days above 30°. Prime snowmobiling takes its cues from the fluffy white that blankets the valley at 500 inches annually.
Alpine punctuates the north end of Star Valley. There, near the junction of Highways 26 and 89, the Greys River feeds Palisades Reservoir. Alpine real estate owners are either in their prime, enjoying the outdoor lifestyle, or commuters who transit to Jackson Hole each day to work. See the Alpine section for specific lifestyle and Alpine real estate related information. Fast residential growth, escalating Alpine real estate prices, and people’s reliance on Jackson Hole contribute to commercial development not yet catching up with residential growth. This is just one more reason why Star Valley feels like an opportunist’s dream.
Moving south, each of 13 mini-communities has a unique but always rural feeling. Meanwhile Star Valley, WY, maintains a sense of community because of united amenities.
Star Valley real estate owners and locals don’t necessarily get out their pom-poms for one particular town unless Star Valley High School is competing. The school districts are combined in most cases as is the Chamber of Commerce. Afton is the meeting place for daily errands and community events with the Familee Thriftway, Star Valley Medical Center, banks, a library, a movie theater, a golf course, and religious centers (especially LDS). Afton also gets mighty quiet on a Sunday when folks head to church. A smattering of fast food chains and hardware conveniences exist as well, mostly located in Afton. The airport expansion satisfies small corporate jets, but people take advantage of both Jackson Hole, at 70 miles, and Idaho Falls, at 100 miles away.
Star Valley offers the chance to step well off the beaten track and explore a lifestyle of true Wyoming flavor without the high prices typical for Jackson Hole real estate. //
