You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Wyoming. Best suburbs in Wyoming. Best counties in Wyoming.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Equality State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Wyoming based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Wyoming ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
$160,705 median income · 0.0% unemployment
$116,449 median income · 0.0% unemployment
$113,590 median income · 0.0% unemployment
$137,500 median income · 2.1% unemployment
$98,942 median income · 0.0% unemployment
$85,234 median income · 0.0% unemployment
$142,367 median income · 2.9% unemployment
$69,432 median income · 0.9% unemployment
$96,071 median income · 1.3% unemployment
$101,190 median income · 2.9% unemployment
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Wyoming’s statewide median.
Wyoming statewide median: $76,176
Wyoming statewide median: $363,227
Wyoming statewide median: 3.7%
On the map
Where Wyoming’s best small towns are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Wyoming
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Wyoming possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 39 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 39, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Wyoming. Top of that list — Rafter J Ranch.
This is our eleventh time ranking the best small places to live in Wyoming.
The full plate
Best Small Towns In Wyoming
Click any column to sort. Search by town name.
| Rank | Town | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rafter J Ranch | 1,293 | $160,705 | $1,487,039 | 0.0% |
| 2 | South Park | 2,093 | $116,449 | $2,160,599 | 0.0% |
| 3 | Story | 1,054 | $113,590 | $512,764 | 0.0% |
| 4 | Moose Wilson Road | 1,535 | $137,500 | $2,345,673 | 2.1% |
| 5 | Alpine | 1,222 | $98,942 | $692,575 | 0.0% |
| 6 | Saratoga | 1,740 | $85,234 | $291,576 | 0.0% |
| 7 | Wilson | 1,113 | $142,367 | $3,123,871 | 2.9% |
| 8 | Warren AFB | 2,936 | $69,432 | $0 | 0.9% |
| 9 | Star Valley Ranch | 2,007 | $96,071 | $658,782 | 1.3% |
| 10 | Lyman | 1,858 | $101,190 | $303,543 | 2.9% |
| 11 | Hoback | 1,316 | $146,951 | $1,340,786 | 1.8% |
| 12 | Bar Nunn | 3,008 | $98,804 | $356,915 | 3.6% |
| 13 | Pine Bluffs | 1,370 | $67,905 | $329,442 | 0.7% |
| 14 | Sleepy Hollow | 1,632 | $120,504 | $308,183 | 1.9% |
| 15 | Buffalo | 4,572 | $62,629 | $409,842 | 5.3% |
| 16 | Afton | 2,908 | $63,586 | $482,024 | 3.9% |
| 17 | Ranchester | 1,277 | $69,464 | $406,142 | 1.5% |
| 18 | Pinedale | 2,048 | $58,500 | $441,772 | 0.0% |
| 19 | North Rock Springs | 2,277 | $104,350 | $367,098 | 1.6% |
| 20 | Worland | 4,794 | $63,357 | $254,640 | 3.1% |
| 21 | Thermopolis | 2,709 | $65,208 | $205,976 | 1.1% |
| 22 | Newcastle | 3,348 | $82,734 | $247,521 | 0.4% |
| 23 | Mountain View | 1,170 | $98,188 | $295,037 | 4.4% |
| 24 | Lovell | 2,422 | $60,154 | $278,751 | 3.6% |
| 25 | Lusk | 1,311 | $68,507 | $136,683 | 4.9% |
| 26 | Moorcroft | 1,096 | $71,458 | $251,888 | 0.0% |
| 27 | Kemmerer | 2,972 | $76,626 | $254,168 | 1.6% |
| 28 | Basin | 1,290 | $65,515 | $266,960 | 0.0% |
| 29 | Greybull | 2,091 | $65,417 | $242,613 | 2.2% |
| 30 | Evansville | 2,779 | $76,893 | $321,961 | 6.4% |
| 31 | Glenrock | 2,941 | $64,806 | $261,447 | 4.2% |
| 32 | Wheatland | 3,550 | $58,750 | $284,968 | 4.9% |
| 33 | Wright | 1,443 | $69,545 | $263,147 | 2.3% |
| 34 | Mills | 4,390 | $50,656 | $204,543 | 8.1% |
| 35 | Fox Farm-College | 4,019 | $48,516 | $0 | 4.4% |
| 36 | South Greeley | 4,631 | $56,844 | $82,216 | 7.2% |
| 37 | Arapahoe | 1,240 | $70,000 | $215,685 | 12.3% |
| 38 | Ethete | 1,326 | $80,833 | $139,333 | 28.6% |
| 39 | Fort Washakie | 1,219 | $36,875 | $108,839 | 19.3% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 39 Wyoming towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these small towns in Wyoming are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Wyoming are Rafter J Ranch, South Park, Story, Moose Wilson Road, Alpine, Saratoga, Wilson, Warren AFB, Star Valley Ranch, and Lyman. Not sold on Wyoming? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Small Towns In Wyoming FAQs
What is the best small town to live in Wyoming?
Rafter J Ranch is the best small town in Wyoming for 2026. The median household income there is $160,705 and the median home costs $1,487,039. South Park and Story round out the top three.
What are the best small towns in Wyoming?
The best small towns in Wyoming are Rafter J Ranch, South Park, Story, Moose Wilson Road, Alpine, Saratoga, Wilson, Warren AFB, Star Valley Ranch, and Lyman. We ranked all 39 Wyoming towns with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
What counts as a small town?
For this ranking, a small town is any Wyoming place with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents. 39 towns fit that window this year.
How do you rank the best small towns in Wyoming?
Each town is scored on density, unemployment, housing costs, income, education, insurance coverage, and commute times, using Census American Community Survey data. The town with the best average across all of it, Rafter J Ranch, takes the top spot.
How much does a home cost in Rafter J Ranch?
The median home in Rafter J Ranch runs $1,487,039, against $363,227 across Wyoming as a whole. Pair that with a $160,705 median household income, and you can see why it ranks so well.
