Overview
Laramie County is home to 100,661 people (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), making it the largest county in Wyoming by population, ranking higher than 96% of counties in the state. It includes Cheyenne, the state capital, and sits in the southeastern corner of Wyoming along the Colorado border.
Median household income reaches $77,884 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), placing it above 82% of U.S. counties. Home values are high at $324,900 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), above 87% of counties nationally. The median age of 38.2 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) skews young compared to most of the country, lower than 78% of U.S. counties. Commutes are short: 16.4 minutes on average (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), faster than roughly 90% of the nation.
Demographics
At 38.2 years, Laramie County's median age falls well below the national median. Within Wyoming, only a handful of counties trend younger.
The population is 75.9% white, 15.7% Hispanic, 2.1% Black, 1.0% Asian, and 0.5% Native American (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). The Hispanic share is higher than 83% of U.S. counties and 87% of Wyoming counties, reflecting Cheyenne's role as a regional hub that draws a more diverse population than the state's rural stretches.
About 32% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). That's above the national median, ranking higher than 81% of U.S. counties. For Wyoming, where college attainment tends to lag behind the coasts, Laramie County sits in the upper quarter of the state.
Education
Per-pupil spending runs $19,400 (Education Data Portal, 2020), well above the national average of roughly $15,000. Total enrollment stands at 15,050 students (Education Data Portal, 2021) with a student-teacher ratio of 13.4:1 (Education Data Portal, 2021), tighter than the national average of about 15.5:1.
The graduation rate is where things diverge. At 74.9% (Education Data Portal, 2019), Laramie County falls below the national average of roughly 87% and ranks lower than 94% of U.S. counties. Within Wyoming, it sits in the bottom quarter. High spending and low class sizes haven't translated into strong completion rates. That gap between resources and outcomes is worth watching, particularly as the data available here is from 2019 and may not reflect more recent trends.
Economy & Employment
The unemployment rate is 3.8% (BLS LAUS, 2025), close to the national middle and slightly above the midpoint for Wyoming counties. The labor force totals 48,218 people, with 46,408 employed (BLS LAUS, 2025). As the state capital, government employment anchors the local economy.
Median household income of $77,884 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) runs above the national median. Per capita income hits $42,449 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), higher than 85% of U.S. counties. The poverty rate is 9.7% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), lower than about 75% of counties nationally.
IRS data from 2021 shows 50,220 tax returns filed with an average adjusted gross income of $80,839 and average total income of $81,386 (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021). Those figures rank above 83% of U.S. counties. The income picture is solid across multiple measures.
Housing & Cost of Living
Median home value is $324,900 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), above 87% of U.S. counties and in the upper quarter for Wyoming. Median gross rent is $1,080 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), higher than about 79% of counties nationally.
Fair market rents tell a similar story. HUD sets the 2026 rates at $809 for an efficiency, $917 for a one-bedroom, $1,174 for a two-bedroom, $1,633 for a three-bedroom, and $1,969 for a four-bedroom (HUD Fair Market Rents, 2026). The three and four-bedroom rates rank above 80% and 83% of U.S. counties, respectively.
The vacancy rate is 5.6% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), with 2,529 of 45,032 total housing units sitting empty. That's lower than 93% of U.S. counties and the lowest in Wyoming. Housing supply is tight. With strong incomes but limited vacancies, renters face a competitive market. Someone earning the median household income would spend about 18% of it on a two-bedroom at fair market rent, a manageable ratio, but one that tightens quickly for lower earners.
Health & Wellness
Health outcomes in Laramie County show a mixed picture, with several metrics trailing most of the country.
Obesity affects 33.9% of adults (CDC PLACES, 2023), and diabetes prevalence is 9.3% (CDC PLACES, 2023). High blood pressure runs at 27.5% (CDC PLACES, 2023), a rate lower than 95% of U.S. counties. That's a relative bright spot.
Mental health is a concern. Depression affects 21.7% of adults, and 16.7% report frequent poor mental health days (CDC PLACES, 2023). Both figures land in the bottom quarter nationally.
Preventive care participation is low. Only 68.4% of adults had an annual checkup (CDC PLACES, 2023), lower than 95% of U.S. counties. Cholesterol screening reaches 80.7% (CDC PLACES, 2023), still in the bottom 15% nationally. These aren't catastrophic numbers, but they suggest residents aren't connecting with routine care at the rates seen elsewhere.
About 12.2% of residents lack health insurance (CDC PLACES, 2023), higher than roughly two-thirds of U.S. counties. Wyoming didn't expand Medicaid until recently, and the effects of that decision show up clearly in coverage gaps like this one.
Climate & Natural Disasters
Laramie County sits near the bottom nationally for warmth. The average temperature is 48.4°F (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), lower than 75% of U.S. counties, with daily highs averaging 61.2°F and lows reaching 35.6°F. That's a meaningful cold baseline for anyone thinking about winters in Cheyenne.
Precipitation is scarce. Annual totals come in at 15 inches (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), lower than 94% of U.S. counties, well into semi-arid range. Snow is the main exception: 31.8 inches per year (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), more than 75% of counties nationally. Most of the county's moisture arrives frozen.
The federal disaster record is thin. FEMA has logged five declarations since 1979 (FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026), fewer than 99% of U.S. counties. Two of those were the COVID-19 biological declarations from 2020, which affected every county in the country. The others: a fire declaration in March 2024, a flood in August 1985, and a tornado in July 1979. That's a quiet four-plus decades.
The low precipitation that keeps the disaster count down also keeps wildfire risk elevated. The 2024 fire declaration is a data point worth watching. High winds and dry springs can outpace a historically calm track record quickly.
Financial Profile
IRS data shows total adjusted gross income of $4.06 billion across 50,220 returns (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021). Average AGI of $80,839 ranks above 83% of U.S. counties, consistent with the income figures from Census data.
Banking access is limited. The FDIC counts four bank branches holding $310.8 million in total deposits (FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023). That branch count is lower than 77% of U.S. counties, which is notable for a county of this size. For a population over 100,000, four branches suggests residents rely heavily on credit unions, online banking, or branches in neighboring areas.
Social Security beneficiaries total 21,310 (SSA OASDI, 2024), representing roughly 21% of the total population. That's a substantial share, reflecting the county's role as a hub for retirees and older workers in southeastern Wyoming.
Key Comparisons
Laramie County's defining characteristic within Wyoming is scale. It holds the state's largest population, largest labor force, and most housing units by a wide margin. But size doesn't translate to dominance across every metric. Median household income, at $77,884, sits around the 65th ranking within the state, meaning several smaller Wyoming counties out-earn it.
Nationally, the county punches above its weight on income, home values, and education attainment, all ranking in the 80s among U.S. counties. Where it falls behind: health outcomes, preventive care, and graduation rates all sit in the bottom quarter. The graduation rate, at 74.9%, is the starkest outlier, landing lower than 94% of counties nationally despite above-average spending per student.
The housing market is tight by any measure. The lowest vacancy rate in Wyoming, combined with home values above 87% of U.S. counties, points to supply constraints. Fair market rents have climbed accordingly.
Climate sets Laramie County apart from most of the country. It's colder than the vast majority of U.S. counties, gets more snow than almost any of them, and receives very little rainfall. These conditions shape everything from housing costs (heating) to agriculture (limited growing season) to daily life.
Data Sources
- Census ACS 5-Year, 2023 (population, income, housing, demographics, education attainment, commute, poverty)
- BLS LAUS, 2025 (unemployment, employment, labor force)
- CDC PLACES, 2023 (health metrics, insurance coverage)
- HUD Fair Market Rents, 2026 (rental cost benchmarks)
- FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026 (disaster declarations)
- IRS Statistics of Income, 2021 (tax returns, adjusted gross income)
- FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023 (bank branches, deposits)
- NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025 (temperature, precipitation, snowfall)
- SSA OASDI, 2024 (Social Security beneficiaries)
- Education Data Portal, 2019-2021 (per-pupil spending, enrollment, student-teacher ratio, graduation rate)