I encountered similar in Wyoming in 2014 when driving through. I was on motorcycle and needed a place for the night. The one city (name I can't recall) where I was ending up at sunset looked ok; but I was shocked that I could barely find a hotel room under $200/night. Apparently that had become the normal (I got one for $130/night eventually after calling literally everywhere in town), due to the oil business there. The people at the desk told me fast food places were starting people at $15/hr, because there was just so much demand for absolutely anyone to work there.<p>For context, in other equally rural places such as South Dakota, I think I was spending a princely $30/night at cheap motels, but there were none to be found there.