2026 editionWestPop. 588,753Capital Cheyenne44th state, admitted 1890Cook PVI R+20
Is Wyoming a Good Place to Live? Wyoming Rankings, Cost of Living, Crime & Taxes
Wyoming ranks #2 of 50 with a composite score of 79.9 and an A+ grade, strongest in fiscal health (#1) and weakest in transportation (#31). The median household earns $75,532 (7% below the national median), homes typically cost $371,854 (1% above the national average), and violent crime is 180 per 100,000 (45% below the national average).
The money sits underground between Cheyenne and Jackson, coal, gas, trona and oil, which is how a state with no income tax runs a rainy-day fund of 45.2% of spending. It fits people who want land and a tax bill of 5.79%, not anyone who needs a hospital nearby, with health at #29.
Wyoming by the numbers
Six measures every state is judged on, each with Wyoming's rank of 50 and the national figure beside it.
Sources, latest releases: Census Bureau ACS (income), Zillow Research (home value), BEA Regional Price Parities (cost index), FBI state crime estimates (crime), BLS LAUS (unemployment), WalletHub tax burden study (taxes). Rank 1 is the best value in each measure: highest income, lowest cost, lowest crime.
Read the Wyoming overview
Wyoming scores above the national average in 9 of 11 categories and ranks #1 of 13 states in the West, behind no other state in the region. Its biggest edge over the country is violent crime rate (180, 45% below the national average); its biggest shortfall is median household income ($75,532, 7% below the national median). With 4 top-10 finishes and no bottom-10 category, its weaknesses are relative, not absolute.
Where does Wyoming rank in each category?
All 11 categories that make up the composite, heaviest weight first. Wyoming is top 10 in 4 and bottom 10 in 0.
| Category | Score | Rank | Grade | Weight | US avg | The numbers behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 50.3 | #20 of 50 | B | 15% | 47.1 | Its unemployment rate is 3.4% and median household income is $75,532. |
| Safety | 86.1 | #6 of 50 | A | 12% | 68.9 | The FBI estimates 179.9 violent crimes and 1,038 property crimes per 100,000 residents. |
| Health | 51.4 | #29 of 50 | C+ | 12% | 54.4 | Life expectancy is 76.8 years, 32.5% of adults have obesity, and 10.3% of residents are uninsured. |
| Education | 65.3 | #16 of 50 | B+ | 12% | 57.5 | Eighth graders average 278 in NAEP math and 260 in reading, and the high school graduation rate is 81.8%. |
| Affordability | 76.5 | #18 of 50 | B+ | 10% | 65.2 | Typical home value $371,854 (4.9x median income); cost of living index 92.7 (100 = US); center-based infant care $13,120 a year. |
| Fiscal Health | 79.4 | #1 of 50 | A+ | 8% | 58.1 | It carries $1,420 of debt per resident, has 77% of pensions funded, and holds a AAA credit rating. |
| Growth | 42.5 | #22 of 50 | B | 7% | 38.8 | Population grew 0.35% last year; Census net domestic migration is +2.5 per 1,000 residents (the Moving section below uses IRS household counts, a different series). |
| Transportation | 47.6 | #31 of 50 | C+ | 7% | 49.8 | The average commute is 19.7 minutes, 1.1% of workers use public transit, and 9.7% work from home. |
| Livability | 50.5 | #3 of 50 | A+ | 7% | 34.3 | It has 1.887 restaurants and 0.032 arts venues per 1,000 residents, plus 0.241 bars and 0.197 social associations per 1,000. |
| Outdoor Access | 95.7 | #2 of 50 | A+ | 6% | 29.4 | 48.2% of its land is public, with 7.19 recreation facilities per 10,000 residents. |
| Environment | 46.6 | #18 of 50 | B+ | 4% | 42.5 | Its median air quality index is 35, 33% of its electricity is renewable, and its FEMA disaster risk score is 38. |
Weight, US average and the evidence sentence for each category are shown on wider screens.
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. US avg is the mean score of the 50 states. Click a category for its 50-state ranking.
Category shape
Wyoming's 11 category scores. A balanced state fills the wheel evenly; Wyoming bulges toward fiscal health and dips at transportation.
How expensive is Wyoming?
Wyoming's cost of living index is 92.7 against a national baseline of 100, 7% below the national average and #16 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The typical home is worth $371,854 (1% above the national average); buying it takes an income of about $95,729, $20,197 more than the median household earns. Inside the state the spread is wide: among tracked cities, Gillette is cheapest (index 91.6) and South Greeley priciest (96.5).
Housing market snapshot · August
Warm marketRanked #24 of 50 most expensive by typical value and #31 on price relative to income (1 = most affordable). The median household is $20,197 short of the income needed to buy the typical home.
Full Wyoming housing market: 26-year chart, rent vs. buy, cities →What a household keeps at $75,000
| Household | Wyoming | Median state | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family of fourTwo adults, two kids, one in daycare | −$6,300 | −$11,758 | #20 of 50 |
| Single adultOne-bedroom rent, no childcare | +$34,506 | +$31,418 | #17 of 50 |
| Retiree coupleOwn the home, no payroll tax | +$38,377 | +$35,970 | #21 of 50 |
Take-home pay minus housing, childcare, utilities, groceries and transport for a $75,000 household, from the affordability engine. Positive = money left over; negative = costs exceed take-home. Rank 1 = most left over.
What are taxes like in Wyoming?
Wyoming has no state income tax; instead it leans on low property tax, low sales tax. The total state and local tax burden comes to 5.79% of income, 3.0 points below the national average (#2 of 50, 1 = lightest). Property tax is 0.58% of home value (#12), and combined sales tax averages 5.56% (#8).
Tax Foundation (rates) and WalletHub tax burden study (burden as a share of income), latest releases. Rank 1 = lowest. Income tax is the top marginal rate including typical local taxes where they apply.
Can the state pay its bills?
Fiscal health scores 79.4 out of 100, #1 of 50. Pew Fiscal 50, Census state finances and the rating agencies, latest releases.
Is Wyoming safe?
Wyoming reports 180 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 45% below the national average and #5 of 50 (1 = safest). Property crime runs 1,038 per 100,000, 32% below the national average (#7 of 50). The safety score is 86.1 out of 100, #6 of 50; among tracked cities, Laramie has the lowest violent crime rate.
Wyoming vs. the United States, per 100,000 residents
FBI state crime estimates, latest release. US is the mean of the 50 states; blue = below it, terracotta = above it. Florida and North Dakota use the FBI's prior-year estimate because their latest year is based on limited data.
Safest tracked cities in Wyoming
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Property / 100K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laramie | 32,234 | 93 | 987 |
| Buffalo | 4,572 | 106 | 721 |
| Sheridan | 19,285 | 110 | 936 |
| Rawlins | 8,129 | 114 | 875 |
| Green River | 11,581 | 123 | 694 |
Lowest violent crime among the 20 Wyoming cities we track. City rates come from each city's police agency and are not strictly comparable across agencies.
What is the job market like in Wyoming?
Wyoming's unemployment rate is 3.4%, 0.6 points below the national average and #10 of 50 (1 = lowest), and the median household earns $75,532, 7% below the national median. Real GDP grew -1.5% in the latest year (#50 of 50) and GDP per capita is $72,523, 13% above the national average. The population is growing 0.35% a year, 0.2 points below the national average. The economy score is 50.3 out of 100, #20 of 50.
Census Bureau ACS (income), BLS LAUS (unemployment), BEA (GDP), Census population estimates (growth), latest releases.
Highest-paying tracked occupations in Wyoming, adjusted for cost of living
| Occupation | Cost-adjusted | Median wage | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $203,633 | $185,306 | Cheyenne |
| Lawyers | $134,581 | $122,469 | Cheyenne |
| Software Developers | $128,625 | $117,049 | Cheyenne |
| General & Operations Managers | $96,752 | $88,044 | Cheyenne |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $95,089 | $86,531 | Cheyenne |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, latest release, for the 20 occupations we track. Cost-adjusted wage divides the metro median by its cost of living index.
How are Wyoming's schools and healthcare?
Wyoming's education score is 65.3 out of 100, #16 of 50. Eighth graders average 278 in NAEP math (#12 of 50) and 260 in reading (#15 of 50), and the high school graduation rate is 81.8%, 3.8 points below the national average (#42 of 50).
Wyoming is #29 of 50 for health, with a life expectancy of 76.8 years, 0.1 years below the national average. 32.5% of adults have obesity (#17 of 50) and 10.3% of residents have no health insurance (#43 of 50). The health score is 51.4 out of 100, weighted 12% of the composite.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics (state life tables), CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (obesity), and Census Bureau American Community Survey (health insurance), latest releases.
Who is moving to Wyoming, and who is leaving?
Wyoming's flows are close to even: 12,702 households moved in and 12,515 moved out in the latest IRS release, a net of +187, or +0.3 per 1,000 residents (#24 of 50), too small to call a direction. Arriving households report an average income of $79,888 against $69,159 for those leaving. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which counts people rather than households, shows a net +6.5K people (25.1K in, 18.6K out, ±5.6K), consistent with the IRS direction.
Where they come from
- 1Colorado2,280 · $78,596
- 2California1,092 · $143,828
- 3Utah820 · $62,617
- 4Texas757 · $86,655
- 5Montana643 · $55,846
Households and their average income. Click a state to compare it head to head; households arrived from these states in the latest IRS release.
Where should you live in Wyoming?
By composite score, the best of the 20 Wyoming cities we track are Jackson (70.9), Ranchettes (65), and Laramie (61.1). Gillette is the cheapest (cost index 91.6), Ranchettes the richest ($121,445), and Cheyenne the fastest growing (+1.1% a year). City ranks are among the 20 Wyoming cities we cover, not every city in the state.
Standout cities in Wyoming
| Best for | City | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Safest | Laramie | 93 violent crimes per 100K |
| Cheapest | Gillette | cost of living index 91.6 |
| Most walkable | Torrington | walkability 12.8 of 20 |
| Cleanest air | Rawlins | median AQI 8 (county) |
| Best schools | Powell | 97% graduation rate |
| Richest | Ranchettes | $121,445 |
Among the 20 Wyoming cities we track. Safest uses a full year of FBI reports from the city's own police agency; air quality is measured by county, so cities in the same county share a reading.
Regions of Wyoming
Capital, university and energy corridor: Cheyenne an hour from Fort Collins, Laramie's campus, then Rock Springs and Green River gas and trona, with the state's worst winter road closures.
Oil-town Casper, the state's second city and its rail and medical hub, with Douglas, the cheapest tracked city, and Riverton and Lander on the edge of the Wind River Reservation.
Coal country: Gillette pays among the highest tracked incomes and swings with coal demand; Buffalo and Sheridan sit under the Bighorns, quieter, older and safer.
Dry ranch and sugar-beet basin between the Bighorns and Yellowstone's east gate; Cody's tourism, Powell's top tracked schools, Worland's cheap houses and shrinking population.
Teton County: the most expensive tracked city by a wide margin, second homes, the parks, and a workforce that commutes over the pass from Idaho.
All 20 tracked cities, best to worst
| # | City | Grade | Score | Population | Income | Violent / 100K | Cost index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson | A+ | 70.9 | 10,756 | $118,991 | 178 | 91.6 |
| 2 | Ranchettes | A | 65.0 | 5,949 | $121,445 | — | 96.5 |
| 3 | Laramie | B+ | 61.1 | 32,234 | $55,613 | 93 | 91.6 |
| 4 | Gillette | B+ | 60.4 | 33,431 | $81,316 | 221 | 91.6 |
| 5 | Cody | B+ | 60.1 | 10,276 | $72,570 | 124 | 91.6 |
| 6 | Green River | B+ | 59.9 | 11,581 | $84,747 | 123 | 91.6 |
| 7 | Douglas | B+ | 59.7 | 6,420 | $83,147 | 124 | 91.6 |
| 8 | Cheyenne | B+ | 59.5 | 65,239 | $78,839 | 299 | 96.5 |
| 9 | Casper | B | 57.6 | 58,839 | $70,218 | 320 | 93.8 |
| 10 | Powell | B | 57.2 | 6,503 | $63,523 | 273 | 91.6 |
| 11 | Buffalo | B | 56.8 | 4,572 | $62,629 | 106 | 91.6 |
| 12 | Evanston | B | 56.5 | 11,800 | $76,516 | 163 | 91.6 |
| 13 | Worland | C+ | 55.7 | 4,794 | $63,357 | 252 | 91.6 |
| 14 | Sheridan | C+ | 55.5 | 19,285 | $62,867 | 110 | 91.6 |
| 15 | Lander | C+ | 55.0 | 7,432 | $74,813 | — | 91.6 |
| 16 | Rawlins | C+ | 53.9 | 8,129 | $64,773 | 114 | 91.6 |
| 17 | Rock Springs | C+ | 53.1 | 23,127 | $69,168 | 145 | 91.6 |
| 18 | Torrington | C | 52.5 | 6,182 | $47,902 | 321 | 91.6 |
| 19 | Riverton | D | 45.8 | 10,856 | $55,208 | 817 | 91.6 |
| 20 | South Greeley | F | 40.6 | 4,631 | $56,844 | — | 96.5 |
Swipe the table sideways for more columns. Rank is among the 20 Wyoming cities we track: every city of 50,000 or more, plus the state's other largest places. City scores use city-level Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, EPA and NCES data, and a category with no city data is left out of the score rather than filled with the state's figure.
Best cities in Wyoming for…
| # | City | Score | Education | Safety | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson | 70.9 | 90.2 | 91.4 | 39.0 |
| 2 | Green River | 69.1 | 73.7 | 94.0 | 80.4 |
| 3 | Douglas | 67.3 | 79.1 | 95.0 | 81.1 |
| 4 | Laramie | 67.2 | 62.8 | 93.7 | 77.9 |
| 5 | Cody | 66.9 | 72.4 | 94.2 | 73.9 |
Who is Wyoming best for?
The same 11 category scores, re-weighted for six kinds of household. Rank is among the 50 states; click through for the best Wyoming cities for each.
Weights differ by household: families lean on education, safety and housing; retirees on fiscal health, healthcare and cost. See the weights →
How does Wyoming compare with its neighbors?
Wyoming ranks #2. Among its bordering states, South Dakota ranks highest (#3) and Colorado lowest (#18). South Dakota is the most similar on the composite score and Colorado the most different. Bordering states are listed best to worst; the national line is the mean of the 50 states.
| State | Overall | Score | Median income | Typical home | Cost index | Violent crime | Tax burden | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | #2 | 79.9 | $75,532 | $371,854 | 92.7 | 180 | 5.79% | |
| South Dakota | #3 | 79.3 | $76,881 | $321,574 | 88.6 | 308 | 6.46% | Compare → |
| Idaho | #4 | 78.4 | $81,166 | $478,744 | 95.5 | 217 | 7.54% | Compare → |
| Utah | #6 | 75.4 | $96,658 | $534,582 | 98.9 | 236 | 9.46% | Compare → |
| Montana | #7 | 75.0 | $75,340 | $471,746 | 94.6 | 419 | 7.87% | Compare → |
| Nebraska | #10 | 71.1 | $76,376 | $280,673 | 90.1 | 218 | 8.78% | Compare → |
| Colorado | #18 | 64.7 | $97,113 | $532,748 | 103.1 | 422 | 8.73% | Compare → |
| United States | — | 57.9 | $80,903 | $368,697 | 100 | 328 | 8.74% |
Overall rank, median income, cost index and tax burden columns are shown on wider screens.
How the score works
Eleven categories, each scored 0–100 and weighted into one composite. Grades follow rank.
The weights
Economy 15% · Safety 12% · Health 12% · Education 12% · Affordability 10% · Fiscal Health 8% · Growth 7% · Transportation 7% · Livability 7% · Outdoor Access 6% · Environment 4%. The composite is the weighted sum, stretched linearly so states spread across most of the 0–100 range.
From raw numbers to scores
Every raw measure is placed on a 0–100 scale between a fixed floor and ceiling, inverted where lower is better (crime, cost, taxes), then combined within its category. The same scale applies to every state.
Letter grades
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. A C+ state is not failing; it is in the middle third.
Cities, budgets and neighbors
The 20 Wyoming city scores, the household budgets and the neighbor table on this page are computed from the same sources as the state score. City ranks are among the cities we track, not all cities in the state.
Editor's notes
Passages marked as editor's notes are written for this state and add context the numbers cannot: regions, tradeoffs, who the state fits. Every figure inside them is pulled from the data at build time, so the words cannot drift from the numbers.
Always the latest release
Each source is the most recent release its agency has published. The page is rebuilt when a source updates, so the score can move without any change in the state itself.
What the score cannot tell you
Weather and climate, culture and pace, politics beyond the Cook index shown for context, the quality of a specific school, hospital or neighborhood, job prospects in your field, and anything without a public, comparable, 50-state source. Statewide averages also hide the metro-versus-rural split, which is why the editor's notes name places.
Category briefs
Economy: Unemployment rate and median household income. Safety: Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents. Health: Health outcomes, behaviors, and access to care. Education: K-12 school quality, test scores, and graduation rates. Full methodology →
Key takeaways
What the Wyoming numbers say when read together.
Fiscal Health is Wyoming's strongest suit
Wyoming is a #2 state overall but #1 of 50 for fiscal health, 1 place better than its composite rank, with a score of 79.4 against a national average of 58.1. Outdoor Access (#2) is next. Fiscal health carries 8% of the composite.
Transportation is where Wyoming falls furthest behind
Wyoming ranks #31 of 50 for transportation, 29 places below its overall #2, with a score of 47.6 against a national average of 49.8. At 7% of the composite, it is the category holding the overall score down most.
Violent crime rate is 45% below the national average
Wyoming's violent crime rate is 180, 45% below the national average of 328, #5 of 50 (1 = safest). The largest gap in the other direction is median household income: $75,532, 7% below the national median. Source: FBI estimates, latest release.
Migration is a wash
Net +187 households on 25,217 moves is too small a margin to call a direction; Wyoming ranks #24 of 50 on net flow per 1,000 residents. The households arriving report $10,729 more in average income than those leaving ($79,888 against $69,159), so the state is trading up on income even as the headcount grows. Colorado is both the largest source and the largest destination.
A middle income is squeezed less here than in most states
A family of four earning $75,000 ends the year at a $6,300 shortfall after housing, childcare, utilities, groceries, transport and taxes, against a $11,758 shortfall in the median state (#20 of 50). A single adult on the same income comes out at a $34,506 surplus; a retiree couple at a $38,377 surplus. Infant childcare runs $13,120 a year, 16% below the national average.
Wyoming outranks every bordering state
None of Wyoming's 6 bordering states ranks above its #2; the closest match on the composite is South Dakota. Median income among them runs from $75,340 in Montana to $97,113 in Colorado; Wyoming is at $75,532.
Frequently asked questions about living in Wyoming
Is Wyoming a good place to live?
Wyoming ranks #2 of 50 with an A+ grade, #1 of 13 in the West. It is top 10 in fiscal health, outdoor access, livability, and safety. On the six headline measures it beats the national figure on 4 of 6 (cost of living, violent crime, unemployment, and tax burden) and trails on income and home prices. Whether that adds up to a good place to live depends on what you weigh; the household rankings below re-weight the same numbers for families, retirees and remote workers.
Where does Wyoming rank among US states?
Wyoming ranks #2 of 50 overall with a composite score of 79.9 (grade A+), and #1 of 13 states in the West. Its best category rank is #1 (fiscal health) and its worst #31 (transportation). The composite weights eleven categories, with economy, safety, health and education counting most; grades follow rank, so A+ means rank 1–5.
Is it expensive to live in Wyoming?
At #16 of 50 for cost of living (1 = cheapest), Wyoming is 7% below the national average: its index is 92.7 against a national baseline of 100. The typical home value is $371,854 (1% above the national average), and buying it takes an income of about $95,729 against a median household income of $75,532. At $75,000, a family of four comes out at a $6,300 shortfall after all costs, #20 of 50 (1 = most left over).
Does Wyoming have a state income tax?
No. Wyoming levies no state income tax on wages. Its total state and local tax burden is 5.79% of income (#2 of 50, 1 = lowest), 3.0 points below the national average. Property tax is 0.58% of home value and combined sales tax 5.56%.
What is the crime rate in Wyoming?
Wyoming reports 180 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 45% below the national average and #5 of 50 (1 = safest), and 1,038 property crimes per 100,000, 32% below the national average (#7). Its safety score is 86.1 out of 100, #6 of 50. Figures are FBI estimates from the latest release.
Does Wyoming have good schools?
Wyoming is #16 of 50 for education (score 65.3 out of 100). Its public school students average 278 in eighth-grade math on NAEP (#12) and 260 in eighth-grade reading (#15), and the high school graduation rate is 81.8%, 3.8 points below the national average (#42). Among tracked cities with at least three schools, Powell has the highest graduation rate at 97%.
Is Wyoming gaining or losing people?
Neither, to any meaningful degree: Wyoming netted +187 households in the latest IRS release on 12,702 arrivals and 12,515 departures, +0.3 per 1,000 residents (#24 of 50), a flow too small to call a direction. The largest source of arrivals is Colorado (2,280 households) and the most common destination is Colorado (1,874). Arriving households report an average income of $79,888 against $69,159 for those leaving, so movers in earn more than movers out. The IRS files count tax returns and say nothing about motives.
Is Wyoming a red or blue state?
Wyoming is a solidly red state: its Cook Partisan Voting Index is R+20, meaning it votes about 20 points more Republican than the country as a whole. The political lean is shown for context and is not part of the composite score.
What is it like living in Wyoming?
Empty and windy. 588,753 people share a state the size of several eastern ones, so the drive is part of every plan: groceries in the next town, Denver or Salt Lake for a real airport. Wind is constant on the southern tier and closes the interstate most winters. Summer is short and worth it; the parks and the public land are why people stay.
Is Wyoming tax-friendly for retirees?
About as friendly as it gets. No income tax means pensions, IRA withdrawals and Social Security go untaxed; property tax is 0.58%, #12 lowest, and sales tax is 5.56%. The whole burden is 5.79%. What the tax code cannot fix is medicine: health ranks #29, the nearest cardiologist may be in Colorado, and a retiree couple on $75,000 comes out at a $38,377 surplus, $2,407 above the national median.
What are the downsides of living in Wyoming?
Wind, distance, health and coal. Wind closes the interstate and wears on people; distance puts a specialist, an airport and a Costco in another state; health ranks #29; and the whole tax model rests on minerals, with GDP at -1.5%, #50, as coal demand fades. Broadband reaches 89.9% of households, #48. A rainy-day fund of 45.2% of spending kept services running through the slump.
Is Wyoming cheaper than Colorado?
On taxes, by a wide margin; on housing, yes outside Jackson. Wyoming's burden is 5.79% with no income tax, and the typical home is $371,854, 1% above the national average, against a far pricier Colorado home. Cheyenne to Fort Collins is under an hour, so the border is a commute. What Colorado has is the hospitals, the airport, the jobs and the wages; median income here is $75,532.
What is the weather like in Wyoming year-round?
Long winters, short summers, and wind in every season. Cheyenne and Laramie get snow from October into May and ground blizzards that shut the highway. The Bighorn Basin around Cody and Worland is drier and milder, a high desert. Jackson gets deep mountain snow and cold nights. Summers are dry, sunny and brief, with afternoon thunderstorms and, in the east, hail.
All the numbers
Every metric behind Wyoming's 11 category scores, with the national figure beside each. Pick a category.