Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety41#541/924
Economy94#56/925
Housing58#390/925
Health54#428/925
Healthcare50#460/923
Environment86#132/917
Education73#255/925
Infrastructure76#221/925
Community58#387/925
Leisure & amenities72#263/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Casper, WY metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

New business applications · high95.8 /1k
100/100Wyoming 134.2 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low3.6 µg/m³
99/100Wyoming 4.4 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Income adjusted for local prices · high$85,158
94/100Wyoming $93,296United States $73,2042024U.S. Bureau of Economic AnalysisAggregated from counties
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high8.2 /10k
92/100Wyoming 8.5 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Food insecurity · low11.8%
90/100Wyoming 10.3%United States 15.6%2022Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Dentists · high85 /100k
88/100Wyoming 72 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Distance to an airport · high223 mi
1/100Wyoming 131 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high192 mi
4/100Wyoming 173 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · high30.0 /100k
6/100Wyoming 30.0 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Distance to an emergency room · high16.1 mi
7/100Wyoming 15.7 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · low23.1%
10/100Wyoming 24.3%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Firearm deaths · high23.8 /100k
12/100Wyoming 25.3 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New business applicationsImproving
22.7 /1k (2020) → 95.8 /1k (2025)
+322%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Drought exposureImproving
94% (2021) → 64% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−30 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
22.3% (Dec 2021) → 32.6% (Aug 2026)
+10 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
New homes permittedWorsening
3.5 /1k (2021) → 1.7 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−51%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.7 /10k (2020) → 1.1 /10k (2025)
+50%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Mammography screeningImproving
37.0% (2019) → 46.0% (2023)
+9 pts4 yearsUS 43.0% → 46.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Casper, WY metro area improved on 15 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 7 moved within the margin of error and 2 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved15

New businesses+322%22.7 /1k → 95.8 /1k
Pharmacies+20%1.2 /10k → 1.5 /10k
Gyms+50%0.7 /10k → 1.1 /10k
Uninsured−2.7 points15.5% → 12.8%
Traffic deaths−23%13.9 /100k → 10.8 /100k

Declined7

Libraries−26%0.5 /10k → 0.4 /10k
Suicides+42%21.2 /100k → 30.0 /100k
Violent crime+21%227 /100k → 275 /100k
Commute+2.0 min17.0 min → 19.0 min
Firearm deaths+27%18.7 /100k → 23.8 /100k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Casper, WY metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	6.4 /10k2020	8.2 /10k2025	+29%	Improved	86%
Average commute time	17.0 min2015-2019	19.0 min2020-2024	+2.0 min	Declined	12%
Average weekly wage	$9772020	$1,2192025	+25%	Improved	64%
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.8%2015-2019	27.7%2020-2024	+4.9 points	Improved	90%
Broadband subscriptions	82.5%2015-2019	91.3%2020-2024	+8.7 points	Improved	48%
Child poverty rate	10.5%2015-2019	12.6%2020-2024	+2 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Distance to an airport	222 mi2020	222 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	16.2 /100k2020	17.5 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+8%	Declined	23%
Effective property tax rate	0.59%2015-2019	0.57%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Firearm deaths	18.7 /100k2020	23.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+27%	Declined	19%
Grocery stores	0.9 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	+14%	Improved	83%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.7 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	+50%	Improved	88%
High school diploma or higher	92.5%2015-2019	93.5%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Home price to income ratio	3.3×2015-2019	3.8×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	48%
Homicide rate	6.2 /100k2020	2.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−53%	Improved	81%
Income adjusted for local prices	$69,1762019	$85,1582024	+23%	Improved	4%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4362015-2019	0.4482020-2024	+0.012	Within the margin of error	26%
Median household income	$62,7722015-2019	$72,1562020-2024	+15%	Improved	5%
New business applications	22.7 /1k2020	95.8 /1k2025	+322%	Improved	100%
Pharmacies	1.2 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+20%	Improved	95%
Poverty rate	9.4%2015-2019	9.6%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Property crime rate	2,424 /100k2020	1,443 /100k2025	−40%	Improved	66%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	−26%	Declined	2%
Rent as share of income	27.6%2015-2019	27.8%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	55%
Rent-burdened households	42.7%2015-2019	44.5%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Restaurants and bars	10.8 /10k2020	10.4 /10k2025	−3.7%	Little change	30%
Suicide rate	21.2 /100k2020	30.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+42%	Declined	10%
Traffic deaths	13.9 /100k2015-2019	10.8 /100k2020-2024	−23%	Improved	90%
Unemployment rate	7.5%2020	3.4%2025	−4.1 points	Improved	82%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	15.5%2015-2019	12.8%2020-2024	−2.7 points	Improved	91%
Violent crime rate	227 /100k2020	275 /100k2025	+21%	Declined	12%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Casper, WY metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Casper, WY metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Casper, WY metro area itself moved +0.4 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

79,977 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

33,886 households (±511)

Casper, WY metro area
United States share

Under $25k13%4,548
$25k–50k19%6,592
$50k–75k20%6,657

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

33,886 households (±511)

Casper, WY metro area
United States share

Own74%24,967
Rent26%8,919

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+5.5 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

39,736 workers (±768)

Casper, WY metro area
United States share

Drive alone79%31,358
Carpool7.7%3,043
Public transit0.5%†184

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Casper, WY employ 9,020 people. 2 pay a median above the US median and 8 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Casper, WY by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Retail Salespersons1,370 jobs	1,370	$32,660US $35,410	−8%	1.36×
General and Operations Managers1,190 jobs	1,190	$101,450US $105,770	−4%	1.32×
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,110 jobs	1,110	$28,070US $31,200	−10%	1.12×
Office Clerks, General1,040 jobs	1,040	$42,810US $45,010	−5%	1.63×
Registered Nurses870 jobs	870	$83,760US $97,550	−14%	1.0×
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers870 jobs	870	$58,710US $58,640	0%	1.64×
Cashiers750 jobs	750	$30,180US $32,880	−8%	0.95×
Stockers and Order Fillers630 jobs	630	$38,770US $37,330	+4%	0.87×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners600 jobs	600	$35,950US $36,840	−2%	1.06×
Waiters and Waitresses590 jobs	590	$26,870US $35,230	−24%	1.0×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Casper, WY.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Casper, WY has 3,071 employer establishments, 384 for every 10,000 residents (1.55× the US rate of 248), with 31,602 paid employees at an average annual pay of $59,158. The Census Bureau also counts 8,060 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,071; 8,060 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 384; US 248
Paid employees: 31,602
Average annual pay: $59,158; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Casper, WY by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	237	29.6	1.42×More than typical	2,183	$73,235	327
Specialty trade contractors	232	29	1.87×More than typical	1,673	$66,018	450
Restaurants and other eating places	154	19.3	1.05×About typical	3,024	$23,198	25
Lessors of real estate	129	16.1	1.31×More than typical	394	$46,079	1,205
Services to buildings and dwellings	97	12.1	1.80×More than typical	537	$32,138	394
Construction of buildings	88	11	1.46×More than typical	407	$61,314	199
Building equipment contractors	83	10.4	1.72×More than typical	1,001	$69,986	63
Truck transportation	83	10.4	2.05×More than typical	869	$69,781	133
Offices of other health practitioners	78	9.8	1.61×More than typical	524	$47,521	146
Management, scientific and technical consulting	77	9.6	1.43×More than typical	627	$88,901	294
Automotive repair and maintenance	73	9.1	1.81×More than typical	379	$46,792	73
Offices of physicians	71	8.9	1.37×More than typical	595	$127,936	74

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 79,976 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $3.3M on contracts performed in Casper, WY metro area: $40.42 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $3.3M; −66% vs FY2025
Per resident: $40.42; US $1,994
Sole-source: 23%; US 30%
Single offer: 13%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Bureau of Reclamation$1.3M41%
Department of the Army$603.1K19%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$417.6K13%
Bureau of Land Management$394.9K12%
Department of Energy$384.4K12%
Defense Logistics Agency$144.3K4.4%
Federal Aviation Administration$57.1K1.8%
Public Buildings Service$35.3K1.1%

Top recipients

TRACKED OUTDOORS LLC$517K16%
STACEY HOYT, PHD, INC.$390K12%
GRANITE GROUP, LLC$231.2K7.1%
FOSSELMAN REFRIGERATION, HEATING & AIR, INC.$213.2K6.6%
NORTHWEST COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAMS OF WYOMING, INC.$195.4K6.0%

Spending by fiscal year

6MFY2017
4.7MFY2018
9.6MFY2019
13MFY2020
18.7MFY2021
15.9MFY2022
9.3MFY2023
25.7M

Top industries (NAICS)

Automotive repair and maintenance · 8111$518.5K16%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$404.5K12%
Outpatient care centers · 6214$390K12%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$382.7K12%
Building equipment contractors · 2382$270.1K8.3%

Largest awards

BASE FNS CAR CARTRIDGE, 12 GAUGE, BREACHING M1030$7.1M
DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY, LLC· Natrona County, WY· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Sep 18, 2019 – May 28, 2026· W15QKN19C0047
ELECTRICAL UPGRADES TO THE DICK CHENEY FEDERAL BUILDING IN CASPER, WY.$2.8M
JAMES F THOMSON JR· Natrona County, WY· Construction & real property· Aug 27, 2021 – Sep 29, 2026· 47PJ0021F0369
ALCOVA-BOYSEN THERMOPOLIS-WORLAND TAP OPGW$2.2M
MOSARK LLC· Natrona County, WY· Construction & real property· Sep 9, 2025 – Apr 27, 2026· 89503225CWA000121
FREMONT CANYON ROCKFALL NUMBER 2

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $568M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Casper, WY metro area: $7,053 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $568M; +3.4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,053; US $12,955
Loan face value: $118.5M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$323M57%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$51.5M9.1%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$40.7M7.2%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$38.8M6.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$31.7M5.6%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$13.2M2.3%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$10.8M1.9%
20.118 · Airport Terminal Program$9.5M1.7%

Top recipients (organizations)

WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$67.7M12%
CHEYENNE, WY
CASPER/NATRONA COUNTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT$12.8M2.3%
CASPER, WY
CASPER COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT$5.9M1.0%
CASPER, WY
HOUSING AUTHORITY - CITY OF CASPER INC$4.1M0.7%
CASPER, WY
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OF CENTRAL WYOMING, INC.

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$404.3M71%
Federal Highway Administration$68.9M12%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$56.8M10.0%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Aviation Administration$9.8M1.7%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education

Assistance by fiscal year

498.4MFY2021
457.5MFY2022
504.6MFY2023
524.9MFY2024
549.2MFY2025
568MFY2026

County aggregates

82%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Casper, WY

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Natrona CountyCentral county7480,526

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

CasperPrincipal city58,839

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Wyoming

Areas based in Wyoming, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Riverton, WY54

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M16220

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Casper, WY metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Casper, WY

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Wyoming

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved15

Declined7

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought