You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Wyoming. Best sururbs 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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 15 Best Small Towns To Live In Wyoming For 2024
- Rafter J Ranch
- Pinedale
- South Park
- Wilson
- Moose Wilson Road
- Bar Nunn
- Lyman
- Worland
- Star Valley Ranch
- Saratoga
- Sleepy Hollow
- Hoback
- Thermopolis
- Buffalo
- Warren AFB
What’s the best small town in Wyoming? Rafter J Ranch is the best small town in Wyoming based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Rafter J Ranch, chances are, you’re not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.
But for the rest of you–keep reading, and we’ll get to just why these small towns made our list.
For more reading on the Equality State check out:
The 15 Best Small Towns In Wyoming For 2024
1. Rafter J Ranch
/10
Population: 1,233
Median Income: $144,844 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $1,137,577 (5th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
2. Pinedale
/10
Population: 1,946
Median Income: $95,120 (10th Best)
Median Home Value: $415,658 (9th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
3. South Park
/10
Population: 1,899
Median Income: $109,402 (6th Best)
Median Home Value: $1,611,191 (3rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%
4. Wilson
/10
Population: 1,303
Median Income: $128,981 (3rd Best)
Median Home Value: $3,055,176 (1st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
5. Moose Wilson Road
/10
Population: 1,143
Median Income: $105,673 (7th Best)
Median Home Value: $2,511,209 (2nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4%
6. Bar Nunn
/10
Population: 2,945
Median Income: $104,028 (8th Best)
Median Home Value: $324,336 (13th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1%
7. Lyman
/10
Population: 1,736
Median Income: $100,875 (9th Best)
Median Home Value: $291,867 (17th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2%
8. Worland
/10
Population: 4,812
Median Income: $59,679 (26th Best)
Median Home Value: $232,632 (26th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.9%
9. Star Valley Ranch
/10
Population: 2,231
Median Income: $92,250 (11th Best)
Median Home Value: $523,210 (6th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.2%
10. Saratoga
/10
Population: 1,715
Median Income: $72,381 (16th Best)
Median Home Value: $315,345 (14th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%
11. Sleepy Hollow
/10
Population: 1,390
Median Income: $113,608 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $288,187 (18th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.4%
12. Hoback
/10
Population: 1,874
Median Income: $136,436 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $1,412,554 (4th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.2%
13. Thermopolis
/10
Population: 2,722
Median Income: $66,591 (21st Best)
Median Home Value: $201,285 (32nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.9%
14. Buffalo
/10
Population: 4,475
Median Income: $55,245 (30th Best)
Median Home Value: $380,906 (11th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.0%
15. Warren Afb
/10
Population: 2,836
Median Income: $58,856 (27th Best)
Median Home Value: $0 (37th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 11.8%
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 2018-2022 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 – 38 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 38, 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 tenth time ranking the best small places to live in Wyoming.
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 15 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, Pinedale, South Park, Wilson, Moose Wilson Road, Bar Nunn, Lyman, Worland, Star Valley Ranch, and Saratoga.
If you’re curious, here are the worst small towns in Wyoming:
- Fort Washakie
- Arapahoe
- Ethete
For more Wyoming reading, check out:
Best Small Towns In Wyoming
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rafter J Ranch, WY | 1,233 | $144,844 | 0.0% | |
| 2 | Pinedale, WY | 1,946 | $95,120 | 0.0% | |
| 3 | South Park, WY | 1,899 | $109,402 | 3.6% | |
| 4 | Wilson, WY | 1,303 | $128,981 | 0.0% | |
| 5 | Moose Wilson Road, WY | 1,143 | $105,673 | 3.4% | |
| 6 | Bar Nunn, WY | 2,945 | $104,028 | 5.1% | |
| 7 | Lyman, WY | 1,736 | $100,875 | 4.2% | |
| 8 | Worland, WY | 4,812 | $59,679 | 1.9% | |
| 9 | Star Valley Ranch, WY | 2,231 | $92,250 | 1.2% | |
| 10 | Saratoga, WY | 1,715 | $72,381 | 0.0% | |
| 11 | Sleepy Hollow, WY | 1,390 | $113,608 | 0.4% | |
| 12 | Hoback, WY | 1,874 | $136,436 | 1.2% | |
| 13 | Thermopolis, WY | 2,722 | $66,591 | 0.9% | |
| 14 | Buffalo, WY | 4,475 | $55,245 | 4.0% | |
| 15 | Warren Afb, WY | 2,836 | $58,856 | 11.8% | |
| 16 | Grover, WY | 1,279 | $79,460 | 0.0% | |
| 17 | Pine Bluffs, WY | 1,363 | $62,766 | 0.7% | |
| 18 | Lovell, WY | 2,178 | $58,229 | 2.9% | |
| 19 | Sundance, WY | 1,102 | $54,167 | 0.0% | |
| 20 | Kemmerer, WY | 2,640 | $71,284 | 1.0% | |
| 21 | Evansville, WY | 2,755 | $76,646 | 5.4% | |
| 22 | Afton, WY | 2,303 | $52,273 | 6.3% | |
| 23 | Wheatland, WY | 3,575 | $53,627 | 1.8% | |
| 24 | Newcastle, WY | 3,380 | $71,597 | 2.7% | |
| 25 | North Rock Springs, WY | 2,529 | $116,182 | 4.3% | |
| 26 | Mountain View, WY | 1,114 | $69,514 | 4.8% | |
| 27 | Basin, WY | 1,275 | $55,635 | 2.0% | |
| 28 | Greybull, WY | 2,145 | $64,000 | 12.1% | |
| 29 | Wright, WY | 1,509 | $88,150 | 1.8% | |
| 30 | Glenrock, WY | 2,863 | $64,797 | 9.3% | |
| 31 | Mills, WY | 4,218 | $55,231 | 6.1% | |
| 32 | South Greeley, WY | 3,787 | $51,392 | 6.7% | |
| 33 | Fox Farm-College, WY | 4,226 | $53,486 | 1.9% | |
| 34 | Lusk, WY | 1,505 | $46,797 | 9.3% | |
| 35 | Marbleton, WY | 1,187 | $71,750 | 13.0% | |
| 36 | Ethete, WY | 1,471 | $80,000 | 27.1% | |
| 37 | Arapahoe, WY | 1,596 | $64,886 | 18.6% | |
| 38 | Fort Washakie, WY | 1,481 | $40,000 | 18.5% |