Is Laramie, WY a Good Place to Live?
Laramie is a small city of 31,735 in Wyoming, with a median household income of $50,539 and a 4.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 97 (US average = 100), which is 3% below the national average.
Strengths: Laramie stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Laramie is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Laramie city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 97.0Laramie's overall cost of living index is 97.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Laramie costs roughly 3% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Laramie, WY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $274,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $929 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 45.8% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $50,539 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeLaramie's violent crime rate is 129.6 per 100,000 residents — 66% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Laramie is served primarily by Albany County School District #1. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.8:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Laramie, WY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Albany County School District #1 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 12 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 3 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.8:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 56.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 96.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Laramie sees average highs of 33.6°F in January and 80.7°F in July, with 14.5 inches of annual precipitation and 64.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Laramie, WY |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 33.6°F |
| Average High — July | 80.7°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 64.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Laramie, WY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,735 | — |
| Median Age | 26.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.7% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 13.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 85.6% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.2% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 4.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 14.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 10.1% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Laramie
Laramie, WY is covered by 2 ZIP codes: