Pros of Moving to Wyoming
1. Housing is inexpensive
Those interested in moving to Wyoming are likely to find home prices are considerably less expensive here than where you’re coming from. With a median home price of just $250K, Wyoming lands well below the national average.
Currently the median home price in the US is just above 430K which makes the average home in Wyoming nearly 50% less. Talk about a deal.
With owning a home becoming increasingly unattainable for Americans, Wyoming is still a place where you can make that dream a reality.
2. No state income tax
Here’s a pro of living in Wyoming everyone is bound to love.
One of the top reasons for moving to Wyoming for people these days is state’s tax system. Particularly the part regarding income taxes. Wyoming is one of only nine states that doesn’t have an income tax.
That’s right, there is no income tax in Wyoming which is a major selling point for everyone, especially remote workers.
3. Living in Wyoming is affordable
If affordability is an important factor for you then living in Wyoming just got a little easier. Wyoming has the 14th lowest cost of living in the US.
While inexpensive housing plays a large role in this it’s not the only factor driving living costs down. Wyoming has the 9th least expensive utility bills in the country including electricity, internet, gas, water, & streaming.
When you combine no state income tax with low housing costs and cheap utilities you get a great recipe for solid savings.
4. Wyoming is astonishingly beautiful
If having some beautiful scenery to look at is an important factor for you, then consider moving to Wyoming (western). Home to the world famous UNESCO world heritage site, Yellowstone National Park, the scenery is absolutely breathtaking.
Ranked the 9th most beautiful state in the US (dragged down by the eastern half of the state), Wyoming is truly a beautiful place to live.
Most Beautiful Parts of Wyoming
Western Wyoming: The beauty is mostly concentrated in the western half of the state where the Rocky Mountains ascend into the heavens making for some dreamy outdoor trips.
Central Northern: The Bighorn Mountains located in the central, northern part of Wyoming are another must see destination featuring less traveled, rugged, and wild beauty.
Southeastern: The Medicine Bow-Route National Forest located in the southeastern part of the state has it’s own unique mountain scenery featuring high alpine lakes & forests stretching down into Colorado.
Northeastern: Where the plains meet the beginning of the South Dakota Black Hills the scenery changes dramatically with the famous Devils Tower National Monument & Black Hills National Forest.
5. Endless outdoor recreation
There are few places in America with greater outdoor recreation opportunities than those that exist here. Ranked 5th most outdoorsy state in the US, outdoor recreation is a top selling point for living in Wyoming.
A full 48% of Wyoming is federally owned public land meaning there’s 30 million acres to recreate on in Wyoming.
Just about any outdoor activity you can dream of exists here (at least in the western half of the state). Here you’ll find everything from the basics like running, hiking, & biking, to the more specialized like rock climbing, rafting, mountaineering, skiing, ATV driving, and so much more.
Wyoming is not only home to two of the most beautiful national parks in the world (Grand Teton & Yellowstone), but eight national forests (consisting of over nine million acres), two national monuments, and more.
6. Summers are wonderful
Summer in Wyoming is absolute bliss with warm to hot high temperatures and cool nights. All of the best parts (I’m not as much of a winter recreation person myself) are accessible during the summer.
Wildlife is out, folks are chipper, and living is easy. During summer there’s a massive influx of tourists which some folks don’t like but I don’t mind at all.
During June you can expect some pretty wild thunderstorms but for most of the summer the weather is really nice.
Perhaps its a byproduct of how trying the winters are here (more on that below), but people really appreciate summer time in Wyoming.
7. Wyoming is safe
With crime on the rise across the US, safety is a growing concern. If you’re thinking about moving to Wyoming then you’ll be glad to know it’s the 9th safest state in the country.
Violent crime is exceedingly rare in Wyoming (7th lowest in America) despite the prevalence of guns (seems like everyone has them).
Speaking from personal experience I’d say overall crime here is not really much a concern. Some folks I know chalk it up to rural living versus city living with more crimes being committed in cities of which Wyoming has few.
8. People are friendly
Howdy neighbor! Wyoming is the 5th friendliest state in the US so if you’re thinking of moving here bring the kind spirit the state has embraced over the years.
Walking down the streets of most of our towns in Wyoming a wave is customary and returning a wave is required. Having lived in Wyoming for some time I find it so strange and off putting when I visit somewhere else and the folks don’t wave to each other.
I’ve heard that making friends can be somewhat tough here as the pickings are slimmer than in most states (there just aren’t as many people here) but if you can’t make a new friend you’ll at least receive friendliness.
As someone who does film work for a living, I recall stumbling across a group of cowboys that had just finished a roundup on a national forest. Within minutes of introducing myself, I was cordially invited in to join them for a drink which I did and we ended up swapping stories for a hour or so.
- $497k−0.5%FRED / realtor.com · 2026-0935th cheapest of 50 states
- $372k+0.2%Zillow Home Value Index (state) · 2026-0827th cheapest of 50 states
- 3.0%±0 ptBLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics · 2026-087th lowest of 50 states
- $4.49+0.9%AAA · 2026-10-1238th cheapest of 50 states
- 92.7US = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (SARPP) · 2024
Locals’ verdictGrade Wyoming on cost, weather, jobs, people and safety · where it stands on our rankings
Cons of Living in Wyoming
1. Winters are brutal
If summers here are wonderful, winters are the exact opposite (and then some). Winter in Wyoming is just brutal and one of the top reasons people leave the state (at least that I know).
If you’re thinking about moving to Wyoming then you have to visit during the winter to really understand what it’s like.
Ranked the 5th coldest state in the US, prepare for freezing temperatures from October through April in Wyoming with frequent driving winds (especially in the eastern half of the state), and lots of snow.
Driving conditions are often extremely dangerous in the winter with icy roads and a tragic amount of fatalities. Wyoming has the highest winter driving fatality rate in the country.
Not only are winters harsh but they are long, with snow storms frequently coming in as late as March and April. By March I often find myself relating to Jack Nicholson’s character in The Shining.
2. The wind makes living in Wyoming tough
The wind, really? Oh yeah. Wyoming is the windiest state in America, especially in winter with average wind speeds of nearly 13mph. And it feels constant.
And if the average wind speed is 13mph that’s just the beginning. We’ve got frequent gusts of over 50mph in Wyoming that are downright bone chilling.
Hats with ear protectors are a must here in winter to keep your ears from freezing off and you from losing your sanity.
Even in the warmer months there’s just something menacing about the wind that’s tough to put into words but is very real. Don’t get me wrong, I love a nice breeze, but the wind here is not your friend.
3. Small town life can be a tough adjustment
If you’re moving to Wyoming from a big (or even mid-size) city then it may be a bit of a tough adjustment depending on your lifestyle.
Grocery stores here are notoriously lacking in both variety and quality. Oh how I miss Trader Joe’s (there are none in Wyoming), Costco (none in Wyoming), and Whole Foods (there’s only one in the state located in Jackson).
For that matter, stores in general are limited with most cities in Wyoming not being big enough for the stores you might be accustomed to in larger cities.
If you’re moving to one of the towns in Wyoming be prepared for all of the trappings that come with it like gossip (everyone knows everyone), spells of boredom (entertainment is limited), limited social circle, and long drives.
4. Get ready for some long drives living in Wyoming
Loathe long drives? Living in Wyoming might not be for you. It seems like getting to just about everyone and everything requires a lengthy drive.
Depending on where you live in Wyoming will dictate just how long these drives are. If you live in a more rural area then drive times to town are going to be significant.
Even if you live in a city or a town, your town may not have what you need requiring a drive to the next town which could be hours.
I know a lot of folks who live in the southern half of the state that drive hours to Colorado and Salt Lake City to do shopping on a monthly basis.
5. Wyoming lacks diversity
If diversity is important to you then moving to Wyoming may not be the right fit.
Wyoming is the 7th least diverse state in America with 81% of the population being white. The next highest demographic is Hispanic or Latino at 10%.
6. If honesty is the best policy…
No easy way of putting this but Wyoming was recently ranked the most dishonest state in America. I know a lot of good, honest folks here but apparently there’s enough of us Wyomingites that are, well, less than truthful let’s say.
The study factored in things like google searches for “tips on lying” & “how to bluff”, the divorce rate (5th highest in the country), and integrity score.
Maybe we just have a lot of great poker players here?
7. The isolation of living in Wyoming
The isolation of Wyoming is a love / hate relationship. Getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life is a big reason folks move here. But after a while it can grate at you.
Wyoming is often romanticized as the last western frontier where bison & cowboys still roam. This romanticism hits some folks who move to Wyoming like a ton of bricks when the moving truck pulls away and it’s just you and miles and miles of prairie or wild lands.
Living in Wyoming you really are out there as they say. If that’s a dream of yours I highly recommend spending at least a couple of weeks if not a month in the area that interests you to get a better understanding of what life is like here.
Tell the next person the thing the guide misses.
Things to Know Before Moving to Wyoming
Wyoming is the least populated state
With a population of just 578,803, Wyoming is the least populated state in America. There are less than 6 people per square mile in Wyoming.
Part of the reason for the low population is the fact that 48% of the state is federally owned public lands. Part of the reason is because so much of the land is so inhospitable for humans.
Wyoming is a solid right wing state
Depending on how important your neighbors politics are to you, this may or may not impact your decision in moving to Wyoming.
While Wyomingites take pride in being fiercely independent, the politics here are very right wing. Wyoming was ranked the 2nd most GOP friendly state in the US.
Wyoming is religious
Overall Wyoming falls closer to the middle of the pack for religious states with 54% of the population describing themselves as “highly religious”.
Slower pace of life
Wyomingites are hard working folks but move at a slower pace than what you might be used to coming from a bigger city.
Retiring in Wyoming FAQ
Is Wyoming a good place to live?
Yes, Wyoming is a good place to live for people looking for beautiful scenery (western), savings on income taxes, rural living, lower cost of living, and a slower pace of life.
Is Wyoming a good place to retire?
Based on the low cost of living Wyoming, beautiful natural scenery, and no income taxes Wyoming can be a good place to retire. However, the brutal winters in Wyoming have a lot of retirees looking to snowbird elsewhere.
Is marijuana legal in Wyoming?
No, marijuana is still illegal in Wyoming.
What’s the population of Wyoming?
The population of Wyoming is just 578,803, Wyoming is the least populated state in America. There are less than 6 people per square mile in Wyoming.
How many days of sunshine in Wyoming?
On average, there are 221 days of sunshine per year in Wyoming with 110 of them being sunny days.
Cost of Living in Wyoming
Wyoming has the 14th lowest cost of living in the US.
While inexpensive housing plays a large role in this it’s not the only factor driving living costs down. Wyoming has the 9th least expensive utility bills in the country including electricity, internet, gas, water, & streaming.
Map of Wyoming
Pros & Cons of Living in Wyoming (Summary)
- Inexpensive housing
- No state income tax
- Low cost of living
- Wyoming is beautiful
- Endless outdoor recreation
- Summer is bliss
- Wyoming is safe
- People are friendly
- Winters are brutal
- The wind is awful
- Small town life
- Long drives
- Lacks diversity
- High dishonesty & divorce
- Isolation
Pins | Moving to Wyoming
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The 2026 Numbers
Update from The Honest Local, September 2026: everything from here down was added after the original local wrote this guide, with a source for each figure.
Wyoming is about to learn what a 1.8 gigawatt AI campus does to a county of 100,000 people. That, and a property tax break with an expiration date, is the short version. Every figure below was checked in August 2026.
The cheap-house era is over, at least on paper. Zillow’s index puts the typical Wyoming home at $371,854Typical home value, Zillow, August 2026. Wyoming. Updates itself when the source does. as of August 2026, up 0.2% from the month beforeTypical home value, Zillow, August 2026. Wyoming. Updates itself when the source does.. Jackson ($1,949,686) drags the state figure up, so the real read is by town, Casper at $304,098 and Cheyenne at $378,085.
Property tax got a two-year discount with an expiration date. SF 69, passed in 2025, knocks 25% off the taxable value of your primary home (first $1 million) for tax years 2025 and 2026, then repeals itself for 2027. Starting with 2026 you have to actually live in the house eight months of the year to claim it. In November 2026 voters will also see a citizen initiative to make that a permanent 50% exemption, the first citizen-led initiative on a Wyoming ballot in 30 years.
Cheyenne is about to get crowded, by Wyoming standards. Laramie County had 10 data centers running and 14 more in the pipeline as of spring 2026, and Crusoe’s Project Jade, a 1.8 gigawatt AI campus that could grow to 10 gigawatts and roughly $50 billion, is the big one. In May 2026 the city council voted 8 to 1 against a one-year pause, and the plan calls for housing up to 5,500 construction workers in a city of 66,507. If you are looking at Cheyenne, expect rent to move.
Jobs and people. Unemployment was 3.0%Unemployment rate, BLS, August 2026. Preliminary. Updates itself when the source does. in August 2026, and the state added 2,031 residents in the year to July 2025, a 0.3% gain.
Marijuana is still a hard no. No medical program either.
Cost of Living in Wyoming in 2026
Wyoming runs about 6% cheaper than the country as a whole, and most of that discount is housing. That’s MERIC’s second quarter of 2026 index, 94.4Cost of living index, MERIC, second quarter of 2026. housing 88.5. Updates itself when the source does. against a US of 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis price parity for 2024 says about 7% under, at 92.7, and it prices Wyoming housing at 71.1, which is 29% below the country.
Housing is where the discount runs out. Zillow’s typical Wyoming home was $371,854Typical home value, Zillow, August 2026. Wyoming. Updates itself when the source does. in August 2026, against $368,697Typical home value, United States, Zillow, August 2026. Updates itself when the source does. nationally on the same index. Asking prices tell a different story. Realtor.com’s median listing was $499,000 here and $424,500 nationally in August 2026, an 18% gap, and Wyoming ranks 35th of 50 states for cheap listings. The median renter hands over 27% of their income (Census, 2020 to 2024), under the 30% line where HUD starts saying burdened, and the rent side of the ledger is where the state still earns its cheap reputation.
The rest of the monthly bill. Regular gas is $4.49Regular gas, AAA, October 12, 2026. Updates itself when the source does. (AAA), the 13th-priciest of the 50 states we track. Residential electricity ran 14.36 cents a kilowatt hour in July 2026 against 18.31 nationally (EIA). Sales tax is 4% to the state with a combined state and local average of 5.39%Combined state and local sales tax, the Tax Foundation, midyear 2026. state rate plus population-weighted average local rate. Updates itself when the source does., and the town table below shows who charges what. Home insurance is the line that bites, because of hail, and those figures are in the older Cost of Living section lower on this page, the one with the insurance quotes.
Cost of living by city in Wyoming
Zillow’s rent index covers every size of rental, so it runs above the one-bedroom and Zumper figures in that older Cost of Living section. BEA only prices the two metro areas, so the seven smaller towns get a blank in that column, and Zillow has no rent index for Evanston.
| Area | Typical home | Typical rent | Prices vs US | Unemployment | Sales tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne | $393,700 | $1,532 | 96.5 | 2.6% | 5% |
| Casper | $315,800 | $1,400 | 93.8 | 2.6% | 5% |
| Gillette | $340,100 | $1,311 | 2.5% | 5% | |
| Laramie | $379,700 | $1,194 | 2.2% | 5% | |
| Sheridan | $447,000 | $1,570 | 2.3% | 6% | |
| Rock Springs | $292,000 | $1,141 | 3.4% | 6% | |
| Riverton | $331,100 | $1,137 | 3.5% | 5% | |
| Evanston | $335,900 | 2.5% | 5% | ||
| Jackson | $1,428,900 | $3,300 | 1.7% | 7% |
Read that table twice. Rock Springs is the cheapest house on the list at $292,000, and it carries the second highest unemployment on it, with Riverton just above. Of the two towns BEA prices, Cheyenne runs closer to the country, 96.5 to Casper’s 93.8, and Casper buys you the same metro-sized life for $77,900 less. Laramie’s rent is $338 a month under Cheyenne’s. Sheridan is the priciest working town at $447,000 and has one of the lowest unemployment rates on the list, 2.3%. And Jackson is 3.6 times Cheyenne. Nobody who’s reading this table is buying in Jackson.
Best Places to Live in Wyoming, by Who You Are
I think the eastern half of Wyoming is the most beautiful/ livable part of the state. Unless you live in an unaffordable area like Jackson, where all the billionaires live, the rest of the western part is mainly dry dessert and brown. I live in Rock Springs and can attest to this. Yellowstone is pretty, but you can’t live there. This is why I prefer the eastern side (even though it gets a bad rap) east of the Big Horns. I miss green grass.
Michelle, in the thread, April 2024
So here’s the short version sorted by who you are.
Is Cheyenne a good place to live?
Yes, if you want the biggest town Wyoming has and can live with the wind. Cheyenne is 66,507 people, the state capital, and the closest thing to a city on this page, with a $393,700 typical home across the metro, $1,532 rent, prices at 96.5 against the country, 2.6% unemployment and 5% sales tax. The 2026 numbers block tells you what the data center boom is about to do to those rents, so if Cheyenne is your answer, budget for rent that climbs. If what you wanted was the Wyoming in the photos, Cheyenne isn’t it. It’s the plains, and the mountains are a drive.
Families with kids
You pay for that, $447,000 for the typical home. Cheyenne gets its own answer above. Casper, 58,771 people and shrinking slightly, is the middle of the map at $315,800 with the same 2.6% unemployment as Cheyenne.
Retirees
The tax math works and the medical math doesn’t, and the medical math is the whole decision. No income tax means your pension and your Social Security land without a state tax bite, the 25% homeowner exemption in the checklist closed its 2026 window on March 1, and after that the 2026 numbers block has the ballot fine print, and the property tax refund program opens up after five years here. Now the part the tax math leaves out, from Terri, who has heart trouble and sees her specialists in Utah.
Agreed with all. One thing most people dont know or think about is medial care I have heart issues & most of my care has to be done by specialist in Utah. I just read some reviews you act like we wyomingites are a bunch of savages no so. We just dont live high class we live simple. We drive to Ogden, Salt Lake City, or Park City 45 to 75 miles in less than an hour to do our major shopping Sams Club, Costco Clothing etc.. We can drive down faster than most people that live in Ut drive to work because of population.
Terri, in the thread, September 2025
Terri doesn’t name her town, but drives that short to Utah read like the southwest corner of the map, Evanston country, where the typical home is $335,900. If you’re a veteran, Sheridan and Cheyenne each have a VA medical center. Casper is the bargain, $315,800 and $1,400 rent.
People in their 20s
Laramie, then Cheyenne, then a very short list. Cheyenne’s jobs are the state government, F.E. Warren Air Force Base and the data center boom in the 2026 numbers block, and rent runs $1,532. Jackson is the one that pays a 20-something to be there, 1.7% unemployment and a whole town of seasonal work, and then charges $3,300 a month for a place to sleep.
Remote workers
Sheridan sits on I-90 with Montana just north and a 6% sales tax. Cheyenne sits on I-25, the interstate to Denver, which matters the day you need a flight, and Laramie is the next town west of it on I-80. Two cons hit you harder than anyone.
Moving to Wyoming, the Checklist
The stuff nobody writes about and everybody Googles. The rules come from the Wyoming Department of Transportation, the county treasurers and assessors who actually run it here, and the Department of Revenue, checked September 25, 2026, and every item names the page it came from.
Driver’s license, one year, in person. Wyoming gives you a year from the day you establish residency to get a Wyoming license, and you apply in person at a driver exam station, where you surrender your old license, get photographed and pass a vision screening. One exception. If your license is from Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee or Wisconsin, or it’s a commercial license, you have to apply as soon as you’re a resident. The written test only comes up if you’ve never been licensed anywhere or your license has been expired two years or more, and if you do need a road test, it’s in your own car. Bring one proof of legal presence (a certified birth certificate or a passport), one proof of identity (your current license works), two proofs of residency from two different senders no more than 45 days old (a lease, a utility bill, a bank statement), and your Social Security number. Expect four to six weeks for the card to arrive. (Straight from WYDOT, driver license, testing and the documents required sheet.)
Your car, at the county, and the VIN gets inspected. Wyoming doesn’t have a DMV for cars. Plates and registration come from the county treasurer in your county seat, and the title comes from the county clerk. The state’s rule is that once you become a resident your vehicle has to be registered here, and right away if you’ve taken a job. Every out-of-state title gets a VIN inspection first, which any law enforcement officer can do for a fee, and every Wyoming title gets notarized. Bring your title (or the Wyoming title number once the clerk issues it), your old registration and proof of insurance. The fee has two parts. The county fee is 3% of the car’s original factory price times a rate that falls with age, 60% the first year down to 15% from year six on, so a car that cost $20,000 new is $360 the first year and $90 by year six, and the state fee is $30 for a passenger car, plus $100 a year for an electric car or $50 for a plug-in hybrid. (Straight from WYDOT, titles, plates and registration, Teton County, motor vehicle registration, and Natrona County, titles, vehicle licensing and fees.)
Income tax, there isn’t one. Sales tax is the tax you’ll notice, 4% to the state and as much as 3% more depending on the town, so 5% in Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie and Gillette, 6% in Sheridan and Rock Springs, 7% in Jackson and 4% in Cody. (The income tax figure is the Tax Foundation’s 2026 state income tax table, and the town rates are the Department of Revenue’s sales and use tax rate charts, July 2026.)
Property tax, and the form you have to file. Wyoming assesses your home at 9.5% of market value and your county’s mill levy applies to that, and at the statewide effective rate a $400,000 house comes to about $2,300 before any exemption. The 25% homeowner exemption from the 2026 numbers block takes a quarter off the first million dollars of that market value, and for tax year 2026 you have to actually live in the house at least eight months of the year to claim it. It doesn’t happen by itself. You file the owner-occupied affidavit online at ptd.wyo.gov between October 1 and March 1, so if you move this fall you’ve missed tax year 2026, and how long the exemption lasts after that is in the 2026 numbers block, ballot initiative and all. Two more programs, and both make you wait. The long-term homeowner exemption takes 50% off, but it needs 25 years of Wyoming property tax paid and an owner who’s 65, so it isn’t a newcomer’s program. The property tax refund program pays back up to 75% of last year’s bill for households under 145% of their county’s median income (an income limit of $114,043 statewide for the 2025 program, $122,888 in Laramie County), but you need five years as a resident, and applications for a tax year close June 1 of the next one. (Straight from the Teton County assessor, determining property tax, homeowner exemption and long-term homeowner exemption, the Legislature’s Senate File 69, and the Department of Revenue’s property tax refund program.)
Wyoming vs Montana, Colorado and Idaho
US = 100 on the price lines.
| Wyoming | Montana | Colorado | Idaho | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices vs US | 92.7 | 94.6 | 103.1 | 95.5 |
| Housing vs US | 71.1 | 84.6 | 127.4 | 90.0 |
| Typical home | $371,854 | $471,746 | $532,748 | $478,744 |
| Median household income | $76,176 | $72,509 | $95,470 | $77,800 |
| Unemployment | 3.0% | 3.2% | 4.0% | 3.6% |
| Violent crime per 100,000 | 187.5 | 422.0 | 438.2 | 221.3 |
| Property crime per 100,000 | 1,099.0 | 1,467.8 | 2,234.6 | 623.9 |
| Top income tax rate | 0% | 5.65% | 4.4% | 5.3% |
| Effective property tax | 0.57% | 0.72% | 0.48% | 0.49% |
| Combined sales tax | 5.39% | 0% | 7.89% | 6.03% |
| Net domestic migration, 2025 | +1,474 | +6,348 | -12,100 | +19,915 |
Colorado is where people from here go for the airport, and the table explains why they come back. What Colorado has is the paycheck, $95,470 against $76,176, a $19,000 gap before Colorado’s 4.4% income tax takes its cut. And for the first time this decade more people left Colorado for other states than arrived, 12,100 of them net, while Wyoming netted 1,474 from other states. The pros and cons of living in Colorado has the rest.
Idaho is the one that’s winning the moving-truck contest, 19,915 net domestic movers in 2025, and it charges $106,890 more for a house and a 5.3% income tax for the privilege.
Questions people ask about Wyoming
What do I need to do when I move to Wyoming?
Get a Wyoming license within a year of moving, in person, with your old license, a birth certificate or passport and two proofs of address. Register your car at the county treasurer as soon as you’re a resident, after a VIN inspection on the out-of-state title, and budget a county fee that starts at 3% of the car’s factory price times 60% in year one. There’s no state income tax and no state return. File the homeowner exemption affidavit online between October 1 and March 1 once you own a house. The checklist above links every page and fee.
Is Wyoming cheaper than Montana, Colorado or Idaho?
Yes on the house, which is the bill that matters. The table above has all four states side by side.
Where in Wyoming should I live?
Cheyenne if you want the biggest town and can live with the wind. Sheridan if you want the green side of the Big Horns and can pay for it. Gillette or Casper if you want a family town that still costs less. Laramie if you’re in your 20s. Casper or Sheridan if you’re retiring and want a hospital nearby, and read the thread on medical drives first. The section above names each town with its 2025 population, home value and rent.
Figures marked with a dotted line update themselves from AAA, BLS, MERIC, Zillow and the Tax Foundation. Last checked October 12, 2026.
Locals who stick with Wyoming point to friendliness, uncrowded space, and a conservative, laid-back culture that suits people who aren’t in a hurry. Fans of the eastern side call it the most livable part of the state, while others note the west can turn dry and brown outside of pricey spots like Jackson.
The complaint that comes up again and again is healthcare. Residents describe driving hours, sometimes three to seven, to reach a specialist, and many say they rely on out-of-state cities like Ogden, Salt Lake City, or Park City for both medical care and major shopping. Winters are rough and travel gets cut off during storms, so newcomers who expect quick access to city conveniences or even a nearby Costco may be surprised at just how remote daily life can feel.
“People are friendly.”
Will Garrett Reader
“Prepare to drive for healthcare because you cannot fly directly Wyoming to Wyoming most places in Wyoming flying within Wyomin”
Kendra Wells Reader
“We drive to Ogden, Salt Lake City, or Park City 45 to 75 miles in less than an hour to do our major shopping Sams Club, Costco Clothing etc..”
Terri Reader
