Is Rock Springs, WY a Good Place to Live?
Rock Springs is a small city of 23,361 in Wyoming, with a median household income of $75,863 and a 5.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: Rock Springs stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Rock Springs is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Rock Springs 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: 96.4Rock Springs's overall cost of living index is 96.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Rock Springs costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Rock Springs, WY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $243,100 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $925 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 71.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $75,863 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeRock Springs's violent crime rate is 127.3 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
Rock Springs is served primarily by Sweetwater County School District #1. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.3:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Rock Springs, WY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Sweetwater County School District #1 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 7 | — |
| Middle Schools | 5 | — |
| High Schools | 3 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 14.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 21.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 92.1% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Rock Springs sees average highs of 34.6°F in January and 86.3°F in July, with 10.3 inches of annual precipitation and 31.3 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Rock Springs, WY |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 34.6°F |
| Average High — July | 86.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 10.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 31.3" |
Demographics
| Metric | Rock Springs, WY | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,361 | — |
| Median Age | 35.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 18.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 82.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 2.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.4% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 26.0% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 12.1% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Rock Springs
Rock Springs, WY is covered by 1 ZIP code: