The 10 Best Places To Live In Wyoming For 2022

The 10 Best Places To Live In Wyoming For 2022

We move from the city where Buffalo Bill had an inn to the city that Buffalo Bill helped found, Cody. Known as the “Wild West way into Yellowstone,” Cody is just 50 miles from the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park. If you’re looking for a shorter day-trip out in nature, there’s also Shoshone National Forest and Buffalo Bill State Park in the area. But if you want a blast from the past, head to Old Trail Town, an authentic frontier town with buildings from the 1890s.

Cody might have a rollicking, rough and tumble cowboy past, but today it’s quite safe. The unemployment rate ranks as the 2nd lowest in Wyoming at 0.9%. The student-teacher ratio in Cody’s schools is a solid 12:1, and test scores are much higher than the statewide average. The median age in Cody is 40, making it the oldest city on this list. Hate the drive to and from work? Well, at an average of 12 minutes, folks in Cody enjoy the 5th shortest commute time in Wyoming.

Sheridan is a city of 17,938 in north-central Wyoming with a strong rodeo culture. Anyone with a cowboy fascination will go nuts for King’s Saddlery & Museum and their collection of Old West artifacts, and Buffalo Bill’s inn is still running in Sheridan to this day. The landscape around Sheridan is simply incredible, with stunning mountainscape views that would make an artist blush. Those who want a closer look and a bit of a workout will find all of the above at Bighorn National Park to the west of Sheridan.

For those moving with a family, know that Sheridan has excellent public schools that trounce the statewide average in test scores and graduation rates. GreatSchools gave the district an average score of 7.5, and two local high schools received College Success Awards. Unemployment in Sheridan is crazy low, and the poverty rate here is the 17th lowest in the state. Homes in Sheridan are the 7th most expensive in Wyoming, but rent is quite affordable at around $840/month.

We begin our tour of the best places to live in Wyoming with Kemmerer, the hub of activity for southern Lincoln County. Known as “The Fossil Capital of the World,” Kemmerer has loads of opportunities for the aspiring archaeologist, or just chances to hike through dead dino land at Fossil Butte National Monument. Kemmerer even has a festival dedicated to fossils. If you want an event dedicated to livelier pursuits, Kemmerer also hosts the Oyster Ridge Music Festival, Wyoming’s largest free music festival.

With its dinosaurs galore, it’s no wonder that Kemmerer topped our list of the best cities for families in Wyoming. It also helps that the crime rate in Kemmerer is roughly 75% below the national average and ranks as the 2nd in Wyoming. The economy in Kemmerer is also rock-solid, with a sub-1% unemployment rate and the 9th lowest poverty rate in the state at 7.1%. And while the median household income in Kemmerer is the 14th highest in Wyoming at $63,861/year, you won’t find cheaper homes on this list than Kemmerer’s $143,000.

Located in Wind River Country in central Wyoming, Lander is our final stand-out city. Epic rock climbing, hiking, and fishing are all on offer at the city’s pride and joy, Sinks Canyon State Park. We just hope you like to party, because between Lander Brewfest, a celebration of local craft brewers, and Riverfest, dedicated to local artists and musicians, there’s never a dull moment in Lander. That’s part of why Lander is considered one of Wyoming’s best cities for singles.

Lander is a truly peaceful place; the city experienced exactly zero violent crimes in the last year of available data. Unemployment is sub-3%, the poverty rate is the 13th lowest in Wyoming, and schools are top-notch. If you want to give Lander a try, rent will set you back around $973/month, but if you want to settle down here for good, a typical home will cost around $239,400.

A northern suburb of Casper, Bar Nunn is the 6th best place to live in Wyoming. Being next to the big city comes with some perks, like having sweet museums nearby. There’s the Tate Geological Museum for those interested in gaining mammoth amounts of information, while the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center is a must-visit for anyone who wants to learn how to avoid dying next time they play the Oregon Trail video game.

The median age in Bar Nunn is a young 29, so expect a lot of fresh ideas in this vibrant community. The poverty level in Bar Nunn is a measly 3.2%, the 2nd lowest in Wyoming. Bar Nunn’s median household income of $95,294/year ranks as the highest statewide. Which is good, when you’re paying the 3rd highest price for a home anywhere in Wyoming.

Located at the south end of Grand Teton National Park, Jackson is a thriving town with an absolute abundance of recreational opportunities. There’s a museum dedicated to wildlife art, but if you’d prefer a closer, realer look at some regional animals, there’s also the National Elk Refuge. Nearby Jackson Hole hosts regular rodeos for anyone trying to immerse themselves in cowboy culture. Rendevous Mountain provides some of the toughest skiing in the country, but those just looking to relax within the city limits will find plenty to love at and around Jackson’s Town Square.

Before you move to Jackson, you should know that it topped both our list of Wyoming’s richest and most expensive cities, so make sure you’ve got a lucrative job lined up before making the move. A typical household in Jackson brings back $76,518/year, the highest median income in the state. And there are clearly enough opportunities to go around because Jackson ranks among the fastest growing places in Wyoming. Living in Wyoming most densely populated place, having low unemployment and poverty rates, and fantastic local schools are all reasons why people are willing to live with Jackson’s higher cost of living.

Situated on the Wyoming Centennial Scenic Byway, against the western slope of the Wind River Mountain Range, Pinedale comes in as the state’s 8th best place. Pinedale is known as the Land of the Lakes, with over 1,300 named lakes. King among those is Fremont Lake, Wyoming’s second biggest lake, complete with fishing, boating, and water-sport opportunities aplenty. Snowsports-enthusiasts will also be delighted to have White Pine Ski Area right in their backyard.

Pinedale has award-winning schools that have achieved the lowest high school dropout rate in Wyoming. It’s no accident these schools succeed; Pinedale spends about 80% more per student than the statewide average. The average commute time is a measly 11 minutes, the 2nd shortest anywhere in Wyoming. Pinedale’s poverty rate ranks as the lowest statewide, while Pinedale’s median household income of $86,447 is the 2nd highest in Wyoming.

Outside of Wyoming, a town of 12,025 people would seem pretty small. But that population makes Green River the 7th biggest communities in the state. Thanks to a thriving mining industry and a prime location in the southwestern part of the state, the area also ranks as one of Wyoming’s best places to live.

Founded as a railroad town in the 1860s, Green River’s economy is now propped up by the mining industry. At the same time, it forms an important travel hub. I-80, which follows the path of the first transcontinental railroad, passes right through town.

Bolstered by these economic assets, residents of Green River have the 4th highest level of median income in Wyoming, with a figure of $80,871. The median home value comes in at $221,800.

If you’re in Green River, prepare to be overwhelmed by the region’s gorgeous geological formations, including the imposing Castle Rock. Rocks not your thing? Try Green River’s Flaming Gorge Days, a music and sports festival that takes place every June.

Methodology: How We Calculated The Best Cities To Live In Wyoming

Now that we had our set of cities, it was time to rank them.

We ranked each place in Wyoming across a number of criteria from one to 30, with one being the best.

We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the city posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Place To Live In Wyoming”.

The criteria we looked at were:

• Median Home Values
• Median Income
• Population Density (Higher better)
• Unemployment Rate
• Commute Time
• Crime
• Education Levels
• Health Insurance Coverage
• Poverty rates

Sources of criteria include the New Census Data and FBI Crime Data. You can download the data here.

After the dust settled, what was the best place to live in Wyoming? That would be Cody.

If your city or town isn’t among the top 10, jump down to the bottom of the post to see a detailed chart of the best places in Wyoming.

Otherwise, buckle up for a ride down good living lane with Cody at the end of the cul-de-sac.