About Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole is a fifteen-mile-wide tract of land running for nearly 50 miles at the base of the Teton Range outside Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. National parks, Bridger-Teton National Forest and the National Elk Refuge comprise 97% of the land area. This unspoiled environment inspires outdoor lovers with its ski slopes, mountains, rivers, national parks and miles of scenery. Jackson Hole is considered part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Within an hour or two of Jackson there are nine major mountain ranges. There are countless lakes, streams and rivers.

Area Statistics

Population: 8,647 (2000) / Teton County 18,600

Average July High Temperature: 81º F

Average January Low Temperature: 4º F

Average Annual Snowfall: 90 inches

Health Care: 1 hospital with 48 beds - St. John's Medical Center

Cost of Living: 20-30% above the national average

Housing Costs: Median home price $1,000,000

Recreation: The valley of Jackson Hole is a year-round destination for outdoor enthusiasts. The numerous rivers, mountains and backcountry trails make warm-weather adventure sports like mountain biking, climbing and rafting popular. The winter brings world class skiing, downhill and cross-country, as well as snowmobiling. The area has three ski resorts, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Grand Targhee Resort and Snow King Resort and two excellent golf resorts, the Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis and the Teton Pines Golf Club. There are also many opportunities for horseback riding, cookouts and camping.

Arts & Culture: The Grand Teton Music Festival is held in Walk Festival Hall in Teton Village and has been providing classical music since 1962. The National Museum of Wildlife Art opened in 1987 and has two galleries with more than 2000 pieces of wildlife art in various mediums. There are more than 40 local galleries downtown displaying Western, Native American and contemporary art. The Center for the Arts is a growing art center campus currently consists of the 41,000 sq. ft. Arts & Education Pavilion which houses 20 local, state and regional not-for-profit arts and higher organizations. The next phase of this downtown campus, currently under construction, is the Performing Arts Pavilion scheduled to open in January of 2007.

Housing & Cost of Living: The cost of living in Jackson is well above the national average. Prices reflect the strong demand brought on by visitors. Only 3% of the county’s land can be privately owned which drives real estate prices up. Home & Condominium prices over the last few years have gone significantly up.

Health Care: Residents in Jackson enjoy excellent health services, including preventative care facilities, a hospital and various clinics. In addition, there are several chiropractors, optometrists and physical therapists in private practices. St. John's Medical Center.

Employment: Jackson’s major industry is tourism and many residents are employed either directly or indirectly in this enterprise. Dude ranchers, tour companies, retailers, museums, resorts, restaurants and lodging are all substantial employers in the area. Jackson also has some industry not related to tourism.