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Are you looking to find the best place to retire in the Cowboy State? Well, look no further, because we've used data to determine which places in Wyoming are the best for retirement.
Just because Wyoming isn't usually the first state that comes to mind when people think of retirement, doesn't mean it doesn't have plenty of attractive qualities for retirees. From an economic standpoint, Wyoming has the one of the lowest rents in America, so your savings will go that much further. That, and you'll be able to spend more on fun things like going to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. And if you're into fishing, there's really no better place in the country than Wyoming for fly fishing. Or, if you want a more thrilling hobby, try skiing at Jackson Hole. Wyoming really is a swell place for folks with the time to enjoy it all.
So where are the best places to retire in Wyoming? Well, the cities on this list are fairly well spread out, with Kemmerer in the southwest, Newcastle being so far east its basically in South Dakota, and Thermopolis, Cody, and Buffalo up north near the national parks and forests. There aren't too many cities on this list within an hour drive of some of Wyoming's bigger cities like Cheyenne or Casper, so keep that in mind if retiring near the big-city lights is a priority for you.
Pack your tackle box, perch up at Yellowstone Lake, and read on, because we're heading to the best places to retire in Wyoming.
Here are the 10 best places to retire in Wyoming for 2020:
- Douglas (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Wheatland (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Kemmerer (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Worland (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Thermopolis (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Buffalo (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Evanston (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Glenrock (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Newcastle (Photos | Homes For Sale)
- Torrington (Photos | Homes For Sale)
Why did Douglas take the top spot? And where are Cheyenne and Casper?
So how did we determine which places in Wyoming are the best to retire in? Well, we narrowed it down to 25 cities of at least 2,000 people for starters. Then we compiled data from the Census, the FBI's Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights in order to help us rank each city based on cost of living, crime, median age, weather, activities, and nearby airports. The cities with the all-around best rankings made it onto the list above.
What is the best place for retirement in Wyoming? According to the data, Douglas is the gold medal winner for 2020.
It's interesting to note that half of the cities on this list also feature on our list of best places for families in Wyoming. That means you won't be in a city of just older folks, but in a community where all ages are respected and appreciated.
Curious how other places in Wyoming ranked for retirees? Check out the complete list below.
For more Wyoming state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Wyoming
- Cheapest Places To Live In Wyoming
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Wyoming
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Wyoming For 2020
/10
Population: 6,402
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 2)
Median Rent: $616
Distance to Closest Airport: 55 miles
More on Douglas: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Douglas is a city in Converse County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 6,120 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Converse County and the home of the Wyoming State Fair.
/10
Population: 3,609
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Median Rent: $784
Distance to Closest Airport: 96 miles
More on Wheatland: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Wheatland is a town in and the county seat of Platte County in southeastern Wyoming, United States. The population was 3,627 at the 2010 census.
/10
Population: 2,730
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Median Rent: $817
Distance to Closest Airport: 100 miles
More on Kemmerer: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 5,236
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Median Rent: $610
Distance to Closest Airport: 107 miles
More on Worland: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 2,884
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Median Rent: $742
Distance to Closest Airport: 101 miles
More on Thermopolis: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Thermopolis is the largest town in Hot Springs County, Wyoming, United States, and also the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 3,009.
"Thermopolis" is from the Greek for "Hot City". It is home to numerous natural hot springs, in which mineral-laden waters are heated by geothermal processes. The town is named for the hot springs located there.
/10
Population: 4,586
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Rent: $890
Distance to Closest Airport: 99 miles
More on Buffalo: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 11,953
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 2)
Median Rent: $650
Distance to Closest Airport: 62 miles
More on Evanston: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Evanston is a city in and the county seat of Uinta County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 12,359 at the 2010 census. It is located on the border with Utah.
/10
Population: 2,620
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Rent: $723
Distance to Closest Airport: 30 miles
More on Glenrock: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Glenrock, known as Deer Creek Station, had its beginning as a mail and stage station along the Oregon Trail. The station served as a relay and eating place and was a vital supply point for thousands of emigrants as they traveled westward. The discovery of oil in 1889 greatly contributed to the economy of central Wyoming and especially Glenrock.
/10
Population: 3,461
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 3)
Median Rent: $882
Distance to Closest Airport: 131 miles
More on Newcastle: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Newcastle is a city in and the county seat of Weston County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 3,532 at the 2010 census.
/10
Population: 6,717
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 1)
Median Rent: $729
Distance to Closest Airport: 131 miles
More on Torrington: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Torrington is a city in, and the county seat of, Goshen County, Wyoming United States. The population was 6,501 at the 2010 census.
How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Equality State for 2020
To create our list of the best places in Wyoming to retire, we first used Census data to find all places in the Equality State -- 188 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 2,000 people that weren't townships. This left us with 25 places from across the state.
For these 25, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI's Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criteria from one to 25, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Douglas, with the lowest average rank was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second careers. You can download the data here.
Maybe You're Not Ready To Retire In Wyoming Yet...
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Wyoming goes to Douglas.
If you're not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Gillette
- Rock Springs
- Evansville
For more Wyoming reading, check out:
Where Are The Best Places To Retire In Wyoming?
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Douglas | 6,402 |
| 2 | Wheatland | 3,609 |
| 3 | Kemmerer | 2,730 |
| 4 | Worland | 5,236 |
| 5 | Thermopolis | 2,884 |
| 6 | Buffalo | 4,586 |
| 7 | Evanston | 11,953 |
| 8 | Glenrock | 2,620 |
| 9 | Newcastle | 3,461 |
| 10 | Torrington | 6,717 |
