What it's like to live in Laramie
Laramie is a small city in Wyoming with rent below the national average, unemployment below the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Laramie deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a poverty rate above the national average, and cold, harsh winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Low unemployment
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- High poverty rate
- Cold, harsh winters
- Heavy snowfall — 64" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Laramie compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Laramie
Based on Laramie's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,850
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $37,000 a year
- 49% of Laramie renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$63,900
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $31,950
- Homes cost 5.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 35% below US
$925/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $925 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $319,500. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $319,500 · 49% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 37% below US
2.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 2.7%, well below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 72% below US
93 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 987/100k · Laramie Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 46% below US
14 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 14 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 78°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 9°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 56% above US
56% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
11 public schools inside the boundary
There are 11 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Rocky Mountain National Park (66 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Laramie's strongest points are rent below the national average and unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($925/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Laramie
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