RELOCATION INFORMATION
The Dubois Chamber of Commerce can provide all the relocation services you need- from realtors and book keeping services, to outfitters and stylists.
Dubois and the surrounding valley is a quiet, friendly place where people wave at each other from cars and chat with strangers in shops. There are about 1,000 residents within the town limits, and many more in the surrounding mountains and valleys. Other residents like to stay here for the summer, making Dubois a busy and bustling village from Memorial Day through the end of September.
The low cost of living and high quality of life in Dubois make it the kind of place that attracts people to settle permanently after only a visit or two. Residents enjoy good cafes and restaurants, the inspiration of renowned local artists and photographers, an excellent public school and youth club, a fine public library, and a variety of active churches.
There are many ways to enjoy life outside working hours, from yoga classes and fitness centers to almost unlimited opportunities for back-country exploration and winter sports in our spectacular surroundings.
Dubois has been called the most remote location in the lower 48, but it is central to everything residents need for a satisfying lifestyle completely surrounded by natural areas protected by the state and Federal governments. Barely an hour away in each direction on a well-maintained Federal highway are the large towns of Jackson, Lander, and Riverton, with airports, large medical centers, and the nearest big-box stores and chain restaurants. Meanwhile, the unmatched excellence of our broadband Internet service allows residents to purchase, watch or listen, learn, create, and communicate anything they desire, without barriers or distance.
Location
The town of Dubois is located along the well-maintained US Highway 26/287, about 75 miles from Riverton and Lander to the east and 86 miles from Jackson to the east.
The other highway into Dubois, our newly upgraded town airport, is open for private aircraft, offers jet fuel and 100 LL AVGAS on a self-service basis.
Larger airports are about 90 minutes away, in Riverton to the east (with regular service to Denver) and Jackson to the west (with direct flights to some cities and unlimited service via connections through Salt Lake City).
Climate and Altitude
Visit http://duboiswyoming.org/climate-and-altitude/
Demographics
From 2010 census:
Population: 987 (but many area residents live outside the town limits)
Growth since 2000: 10%
Median age: 50
Cost of living to US average: Less 2%
Student/teacher ratio: 7.6
Median home price: $168,500
Past 10 year appreciation: +11%
Economy
The lack of oil and gas reserves in the Wind River Valley has spared Dubois the boom-and-bust development common to other areas of Wyoming. The closure of the last lumber mill in Dubois nearly a century ago marked the end of an industrial base for the economy. Today, Dubois has a diverse economy, with guest ranches working cattle ranches, outfitters, artists and photographers, and loggers.
Given the beauty of our natural surroundings, tourism has been crucial to the local economy for more than a century thanks to abundant snows on nearby Togwotee Pass in the winter and the town’s proximity to Yellowstone National Park, thoughtful marketing of Dubois as a destination has led to steady increases in tourism over the past few years, as documented by local lodging tax returns.
The excellent high-speed Internet service has been fostering another, silent economy in Dubois. All Internet subscribers within town limits have fiber optic service and 100 meg connections are widely available elsewhere. This superb broadband access allows numerous small retailers make their living selling jewelry, artworks, crafts, and other goods online. Many consultants and designers truly “work remotely” from homes in town or hidden in the hills.
New businesses are required to register with the town and to complete a business license application which must be approved by the Town Council. For more information, please visit the Town of Dubois website at: www.townofdubois.org.
Business owners wanting to open a restaurant must apply for a Wyoming restaurant license through the Wyoming Department of Agriculture. (Local inspectors handle licensing; contact the Department of Agriculture for further information at 307-777-7321.)
Those who want to sell liquor must obtain a liquor license.
Housing and Communities
Outside the town limits of Dubois, residents enjoy homes bordering the red-rock badlands and the designated forests and wilderness areas in outlying neighborhoods including:
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Painted Hills and Riverside: Adjacent to the spectacular red rock badlands with easy access for hiking public land, this settlement also adjoins the Wind River and some properties have river frontage.
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Upper Warm Springs: Rising above the airport, this large community offers generous-sized plots with spectacular views over the town and the Absaroka range opposite. Properties at the high end of the community have direct access to public land.
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Stoney Point: These homes just south of the highway to the west of town are adjacent to the river, many with easy access to the highway. Some are located on the same “bench” as the airport, where elevation gives them wonderful views.
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Union Pass: Reached by a switchback road rising to the south of the highway about 15 miles west of town, homes here are nestled in pine forest. Some sit on the slope leading up to the plateau at the top, and others form a distinct community surrounding Crooked Creek Lodge and Line Shack Lodge, which are popular with snowmobilers and ATV enthusiasts. Homes here have easy access to the huge and dramatic highland from which you can travel all the way to Pinedale or westward to see direct views of the Grand Tetons.
Within town limits, building permits are required any time the footprint of an existing building is being changed or a new building is being constructed.
Education
K-12: Dubois is rightly proud of our public school, which offers individualized attention and a high student-teacher ratio, as well as the latest and best in technology and curriculum. Fremont County School District #2 provides a personal computing device for every student in grades 6-12 and utilizes the Cloud to expand learning opportunities beyond the brick-and-mortar school building. It also provides a mobile lab of IPads and Apple computers for all students grades K-12.
The school provides individualized and/or specialized instruction to students with disabilities or those who may need extra time for re-teaching or review in order to become proficient on grade level standards.
Among its other programs, the school offers well-equipped science laboratories and workshops, as well as a large gymnasium with a climbing wall. In partnership with the Boys & Girls Club, it also provides specialized programs, field trips, tutoring and mentoring. Middle and high school students participate in volleyball, basketball and track for girls and football, basketball, wrestling, and track for boys. High school students also have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular drama and speech/debate.
Fremont County School District #2 serves K-12 students in one building at 700 North First Street, as well as 4-year-olds who will enter kindergarten the following year in a Pre-K program at 400 Meckem Street.
The Dubois school district was awarded full five-year accreditation by the Wyoming Department of Education in November 2015.
College Level/Adult: A local extension of Central Wyoming College in nearby Riverton, based in Dubois at the CyberCafe on Ramshorn Street, offers instructor-facilitated online distance education courses for credit, as well as over 300 non-credit online courses and a wide variety of general-interest local classes in subjects including computers, art, sports, natural science, history, and cooking
Youth Programs
The Boys & Girls Club of Dubois (305-455-2345) offers after-school programs, outings, and many other activities for school-age youth.
Health Care
Dubois is served by two medical clinics:
At the Dubois Medical Clinic (307-455-2516), a nurse practitioner is available every weekday and a licensed family practice physician is on site one or two days per week. The Medical Clinic is one of four regional community clinics operated by Community Health Centers of Central Wyoming.
At Mountain Sage Family Clinic (307-455-2807), Tracy Baum, nurse practitioner provides care daily and in emergencies as needed.
An assisted living facility, Warm Valley Lodge (307-455-2645) provides care both for individuals recovering from surgery or accidents and for elderly residents in need of activities and services they can no longer provide for themselves.
Local emergency response is provided by an ambulance service staffed by trained EMTs and available at all times by calling 911. Access to distant specialty centers or locations not reachable by ambulance is provided by airlift through Guardian Air Services. Response times are in line with national standards for emergency services in rural areas.
A network of Search & Rescue volunteers also provide care and transportation for people who experience medical emergencies while exploring the remote uninhabited areas surrounding Dubois.
Taxes
From the standpoint of taxes, Wyoming is the most business-friendly state in the nation. In Dubois you will have:
· No personal income tax
· No state corporate income tax
· No inventory taxes
· No sales tax on food
· Low property taxes
Fremont County’s 5.5% sales tax consists of a 4% state tax and a 1.5% county sales tax, levied on all retail purchases other than food.
Local Services
Driver’s licenses: Out-of-state drivers relocating to Wyoming must apply in person for a Wyoming drivers’ license. Applications may be filed at Town Hall. Town Hall on the fourth Monday of every month, or on the third Monday if the fourth Monday is a holiday. Driver’s licenses are also available in Riverton or Lander. Further information is available from the Wyoming Department of Transportation.
Trash and recycling
The Dubois Landfill is located on Mountain View Drive east of the residential district, accessed by following signs to the Cemetery and continuing on uphill. Landfill hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday 9 AM-1 PM and 2 PM-4 PM.
Recyclable items include paper, corrugated cardboard, certain plastics and aluminum cans, but not glass.
For further information call Town Hall at 307-455-2345.
Residents may bring trash to the landfill for a fee determined by weight.
Residential trash pickup is available from Wyoming Waste Systems
Utilities
Electricity is provided by High Plains Power (307-455-2475).
Propane is available from several local companies.
Telephone and Internet: Range (307-455-2341)
Fiber optic Internet service is available within town limits and several packages for high speed Internet are available in surrounding areas.
Cellphone service
Contact Union Wireless www.unionwireless.com or 1-888-926-2273.
Other Resources
The Wyoming Business Council is Wyoming’s economic development agency. Contact WBC for information about: