Reviews & Comments
Riverton, WY
The city has a lot of problems. -
2/25/2024The City of Riverton has some significant issues to contend with.
There is a high property crime issue due to proximity to the Wind River Reservation.
There is an issue with transients, drug and alcohol abuse as well.
Auto insurance is extremely high due to the many noninsured drivers as well as severe weather events.
Winters can be brutally cold. Last year, record cold down to 40 below zero and heavy snows.
Medical care is mediocre. If you need specialized care you have to travel to Denver, Casper or Billings.
Riverton, WY
Genuinely nice people overall but the area has som -
2/24/2024problems that affect quality of life.
There are a lot of hidden costs to living in Riverton as well as much of Wyoming. This is especially true when it comes to auto insurance. The cost of auto insurance is much higher that average. Although some will state that it is lower, that is not the truth.
Three things affect the cost of insurance. One is that the small population of the state does not create a large pool of funding thus everyone has to pay more. Two is the weather. Some hailstorms caused car and home damage across the state, and this raised everyone's premiums. Three. There are a number of uninsured drivers. It is a sad fact of life that there are a large number of uninsured drivers and so everyone with insurance picks up the slack.
This is a touchy topic, but it is the elephant in the room. The Wind River Indian Reservation. The 2.2-million-acre reservation is rated as one of the worst in the nation. There are significant problems that bleed over into other communities like Riverton. Property crime, alcohol, and drug addiction problems. Homelessness from the tribe impacts the quality of life for some communities surrounding the place.
Water is a huge issue. The geology of Wyoming impacts the cost of drilling a well. A friend told me many wells will cost you up to $40,000 for a 200-foot artesian well. Also, that is no guarantee that the well will provide quality water. There is a lot of water that is alkali and laden with minerals. Wells costing far north of 100 K are not unheard of in Wyoming.
Land and real estate. Much of the land seems to be overvalued and that is a result of the combination of the "Left Coast" exodus and the work at home covid situation we had a brief time ago. I see land here that is a gravel pit at premium prices.
Hunting and Fishing. To be eligible to obtain a resident license you must be a full time resident for one year. That is determined by your driver's license. Much of the game is in a lottery system where you may have to wait years for a tag, even if you are a resident. There are over the counter tags and what is called a general license, but the success rates tend to be lower. Added to that, you will have to travel a great distance to find a place to hunt. Here in Riverton, I will have to drive seventy-five miles NW to the Dubois area in the fall.
Medical. The local hospital is not well rated. Also, your medical insurance may not cover you. The local clinics do not fully inform you if your insurance will cover a visit. SURPRISE!!!! If you are involved in a serious accident, people are life flighted to Billings Montana or Casper Wyoming. So quality medical is a distance away.
In my move from Massachusetts I have met wonderful people and have seen some wonderful things but in all honesty, there is more negative than positive in this region.
Casper, WY
I have visited this place and really love it but -
8/30/2019I cannot give it a really good evaluation on only several days.
To an avid hunter and outdoorsperson this region is heaven. I suspect for someone who is very cosmopolitan or metro it will be the other place.
Again from what I see I could live there for the last phase of my life but I do not know the intricacies of the place.
Dudley, MA
One of the lowest property tax rates in the state. -
8/30/2019The town of Dudley has a rich history starting at the time of the American Revolution. It was a major farming area with a large number of dairy farms at the turn of the 20th century. Industry has changed in the fact that the linen mills are no longer the major employer. It is now a bedroom community. The schools seem to be OK and it seems there aren't too many issues.
One thing to consider is that Dudley is one of the most affordable towns in Massachusetts in the way of property tax. Property tax can be very high in the Bay State and Dudley is near the bottom end of things.
I will add to this topic regarding Dudley Massachusetts. As a rule, Massachusetts has a reputation of being very anti-gun. If you are a shooter it can be difficult to obtain the necessary license to carry a firearm. Dudley is more progressive on this topic. For the most part if you have a clean record and take an appropriate safely class you will be able to obtain a license to carry. As a contrast many communities in the Greater Boston Area are equivalent to the Communist East German Republic.
Thompson, CT
An expensive place to live.... -
6/16/2017In a nutshell, the town raised the tax rate from 24 to 26/1000 in value. Also, it seemed that the transition from Massachusetts was more expensive and more bureaucratic in nature. As an example, transfer of a vehicle and license to Connecticut requires you to go to a hub location. Plan on spending the entire day there for this to happen.
Also, Connecticut tends to be more expensive with fuel than Massachusetts. When either of our vehicles are in need of fuel we go to nearby Massachusetts were it is 15 to 25 cents cheaper per gallon.
If I could go back in time a few years I would not have chosen to live in Connecticut. I do know for a fact that we will not be able to retire in this state. It is too expensive.
Hurricane, UT
re: city government -
4/27/2017Two winters ago my family and I rented a home for two weeks in the late fall. We fell in love with the So. Utah region. I could envision myself in a semi-retired mode in the area.
As someone from NE Connecticut I have had my fill of snow. I like snow but I dislike having to shovel, plow and/or blow it out( when my snowblower is working) Plus damage to the roof from ice dams. I like the fact that I can drive up to the Dixie NF and play in the snow then head down to a lower elevation and have bare streets. Plus your vehicle does not rot away due to the use of highway salt and calcium carbonate.
What I really liked as an outdoorsman is what it offers. NE Connecticut is not all that hunter friendly. The laws and cultural conditions have changed to make it less friendly, so to speak.
Pascoag, RI
There are a lot of problems... -
4/27/2017The town is very unique in its character. Sadly, the whole NW region of RI is economically and culturally depressed.
Also, a large power plant is scheduled to be built which will have a negative environmental impact on one of the few wilder areas left in the Ocean State. I see homes for sale but no one is buying.
Pascoag, RI
Very depressed area. -
4/27/2017The town's major employer is the state hospital and many people there live in the greater Providence area. Rhode Island is a compact state so it is not unusual for people to seem to know each other no matter where you are in the Ocean State.
As a hunter and shooter I can tell you that obtaining a pistol permit is almost an impossibility. I was quoted from a lawyer it will cost approximately $4000 to get one. In RI you need written permission to hunt on private land for deer and it seems very difficult to get if you are an outsider. There is some considerable amount of state land to hunt on but there seems to be a "squatter's rights" mentality when it comes to spots you may find in the woods, in spite of state law dictating otherwise.
I have discovered for the most part the people are very clannish. They seem to never leave the state. You can drive from Pascoag to a Super Walmart two towns over in Massachusetts but people will prefer to travel out of their way southward to shop.
Thirdly, the state has always had a reputation of being corrupt. Right now a proposed power plant is being pushed through will little to no consideration on it's impact on the local environment nor the will of the people who really do not want it. I see homes for sale but no one is buying.
Thompson, CT
Thompson has more cons than pros. -
4/27/2017Hello All:
My wife and I lived in this region and had the opportunity to travel much of the US so we have a base to compare the town of Thompson with much of the nation.
The property taxes are rather high. When we first moved here the mil rate( tax per 1000 dollars of property) was at 24. Last tax bill it was raised to 26. This is an unfortunate trend in the area. Property taxes are increasing and putting pressure on older residents to leave.
The area is very quiet but in order to do anything cultural you must travel a little distance. So if you are accustomed to a more urbane lifestyle you may be very bored.
Winters have changed character. It seems that we get most of our snow from Late January to early March. In fact we got several inches last April 1st.
There are few well paying jobs in the town borders. You will have to commute to the metro-Worcester or Metro Boston area for anything of that nature. Most of the jobs in Connecticut seem to be around the capitol and the coastline.