Jackson

Jackson is a resort town in Teton County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 10,760 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 10,680 in 2024. It is Teton County's only incorporated municipality and its county seat, and it is the largest incorporated town in Wyoming. Jackson is the principal town of the Jackson, WY-ID Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Teton County in Wyoming and Teton County in Idaho. The town is often called Jackson Hole, which is the name of the valley in which it is located. Jackson is a popular tourist destination due to its proximity to the ski resorts Jackson Hole Mountain, Snow King Mountain, and Grand Targhee.Wikipedia

The Mountain West has experienced one of the most dramatic demographic transformations of any American region over the past fifteen years. Colorado's Front Range — Fort Collins through Denver to Colorado Springs — has absorbed hundreds of thousands of new residents drawn by mountain access and a strong multi-sector economy across aerospace, energy, biotech, and tech. Salt Lake City's startup ecosystem has grown quietly into one of the most productive per-capita in the country. Boise and Missoula have emerged from obscurity into genuine destination cities.

The cost of this transformation has been housing. Denver and Bozeman have seen appreciation that rivals coastal markets, driven by limited developable land, in-migration pressure, and the sustained appeal of ski slope and trailhead access. Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho retain large stretches of genuine affordability and open space — but tradeoffs include isolation, limited rural healthcare, and economies still dependent on extractive industries. Wildfire risk, driven by worsening drought cycles, is an increasingly material homebuying consideration across the entire region.