Scores by category

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

Safety21#733/924
Economy98#23/925
Housing49#469/925
Health68#300/925
Healthcare48#485/923
Environment67#299/917
Education89#102/925
Infrastructure89#100/925
Community28#669/925
Leisure & amenities40#555/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

New business applications · high144.8 /1k
100/100Wyoming 134.2 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Food insecurity · low9.6%
98/100Wyoming 10.3%United States 15.6%2022Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low4.6 µg/m³
97/100Wyoming 4.4 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Lack of reliable transportation · low6.5%
97/100Wyoming 6.9%United States 8.3%2022Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
High school diploma or higher · high95.0%
93/100Wyoming 94.2%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Poverty rate · low8.9%
91/100Wyoming 10.0%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001

Weaknesses

Suicide rate · high35.6 /100k
3/100Wyoming 30.0 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Firearm deaths · high29.7 /100k
4/100Wyoming 25.3 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Grocery stores · low0.8 /10k
6/100Wyoming 1.4 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Pharmacies · low0.8 /10k
8/100Wyoming 1.2 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Property crime rate · high2,055 /100k
10/100Wyoming 1,038 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · low23.2%
11/100Wyoming 24.3%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties

Trends

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

New business applicationsImproving
45.1 /1k (2020) → 144.8 /1k (2025)
+221%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Drought exposureWorsening
54% (2021) → 82% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+28 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysImproving
1 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Drug overdose deathsImproving
25.8 /100k (2021) → 9.9 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−62%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
New homes permittedWorsening
7.3 /1k (2021) → 4.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−45%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Homicide rateWorsening
4.0 /100k (2021) → 5.8 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+45%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k

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, Cheyenne, WY metro area improved on 14 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 7 moved within the margin of error and 4 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.

Improved14

New businesses+221%45.1 /1k → 144.8 /1k
Pharmacies+30%0.6 /10k → 0.8 /10k
Arts & recreation+30%3.9 /10k → 5.1 /10k
Bachelor's++4.5 points28.5% → 33.1%
Grocery stores+12%0.7 /10k → 0.8 /10k

Declined6

Homicides+71%3.4 /100k → 5.8 /100k
Uninsured+2.2 points9.4% → 11.5%
Price / income+0.9×3.4× → 4.3×
Commute+2.0 min15.9 min → 17.8 min
Suicides+24%28.8 /100k → 35.6 /100k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Cheyenne, WY metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.9 /10k2020	5.1 /10k2025	+30%	Improved	87%
Average commute time	15.9 min2015-2019	17.8 min2020-2024	+2.0 min	Declined	13%
Average weekly wage	$9772020	$1,2192025	+25%	Improved	64%
Bachelor's degree or higher	28.5%2015-2019	33.1%2020-2024	+4.5 points	Improved	86%
Broadband subscriptions	85.5%2015-2019	91.7%2020-2024	+6.2 points	Improved	17%
Child poverty rate	12.5%2015-2019	11.0%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Distance to an airport	90 mi2020	90 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	14.9 /100k2020	9.9 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−34%	Improved	61%
Effective property tax rate	0.59%2015-2019	0.56%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Firearm deaths	24.8 /100k2020	29.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+20%	Declined	25%
Grocery stores	0.7 /10k2020	0.8 /10k2025	+12%	Improved	80%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.8 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	+10%	Improved	59%
High school diploma or higher	93.0%2015-2019	95.0%2020-2024	+2 points	Within the margin of error	61%
Home price to income ratio	3.4×2015-2019	4.3×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	13%
Homicide rate	3.4 /100k2020	5.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+71%	Declined	3%
Income adjusted for local prices	$54,4972019	$68,4122024	+26%	Improved	10%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4372015-2019	0.4212020-2024	−0.017	Within the margin of error	86%
Median household income	$66,9102015-2019	$80,1732020-2024	+20%	Improved	13%
New business applications	45.1 /1k2020	144.8 /1k2025	+221%	Improved	99%
Pharmacies	0.6 /10k2020	0.8 /10k2025	+30%	Improved	97%
Poverty rate	9.9%2015-2019	8.9%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Property crime rate	2,623 /100k2020	2,055 /100k2025	−22%	Improved	26%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	−1.8%	Little change	49%
Rent as share of income	28.4%2015-2019	28.9%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Rent-burdened households	46.9%2015-2019	47.4%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	55%
Restaurants and bars	7.4 /10k2020	7.8 /10k2025	+4.4%	Little change	64%
Suicide rate	28.8 /100k2020	35.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+24%	Declined	21%
Traffic deaths	13.6 /100k2015-2019	14.1 /100k2020-2024	+3.4%	Little change	56%
Unemployment rate	5.2%2020	3.4%2025	−1.8 points	Improved	18%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.4%2015-2019	11.5%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Declined	7%
Violent crime rate	329 /100k2020	274 /100k2025	−17%	Improved	50%

“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 Cheyenne, WY metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Cheyenne, 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, Cheyenne, WY metro area itself moved −2.1 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

101,060 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

43,279 households (±405)

Cheyenne, WY metro area
United States share

Under $25k13%5,662
$25k–50k17%7,207
$50k–75k17%7,255

Homes

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

Owners and renters

43,279 households (±405)

Cheyenne, WY metro area
United States share

Own71%30,537
Rent29%12,742

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

50,929 workers (±955)

Cheyenne, WY metro area
United States share

Drive alone79%40,283
Carpool8.8%4,459
Public transit0.3%†141

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 Cheyenne, WY employ 11,470 people. 3 pay a median above the US median and 7 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Cheyenne, 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
Stockers and Order Fillers1,720 jobs	1,720	$46,900US $37,330	+26%	1.94×
Retail Salespersons1,530 jobs	1,530	$34,070US $35,410	−4%	1.26×
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,260 jobs	1,260	$28,720US $31,200	−8%	1.05×
General and Operations Managers1,140 jobs	1,140	$97,980US $105,770	−7%	1.04×
Registered Nurses1,130 jobs	1,130	$94,540US $97,550	−3%	1.07×
Office Clerks, General1,070 jobs	1,070	$42,340US $45,010	−6%	1.39×
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers1,060 jobs	1,060	$63,540US $58,640	+8%	1.64×
Cashiers950 jobs	950	$33,890US $32,880	+3%	0.98×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners860 jobs	860	$35,640US $36,840	−3%	1.25×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides750 jobs	750	$35,740US $35,800	0%	0.56×

Look up any occupation

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

Cheyenne, WY has 3,625 employer establishments, 359 for every 10,000 residents (1.45× the US rate of 248), with 37,182 paid employees at an average annual pay of $56,619. The Census Bureau also counts 11,649 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,625; 11,649 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 359; US 248
Paid employees: 37,182
Average annual pay: $56,619; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	243	24.1	1.15×About typical	2,144	$74,453	366
Specialty trade contractors	225	22.3	1.44×More than typical	1,471	$62,596	493
Management, scientific and technical consulting	203	20.1	3.00×More than typical	1,140	$63,240	524
Lessors of real estate	201	19.9	1.62×More than typical	669	$50,755	2,553
Restaurants and other eating places	164	16.2	0.88×About typical	3,343	$21,813	28
Legal services	141	14	2.60×More than typical	444	$76,725	101
Computer systems design and related services	109	10.8	2.49×More than typical	557	$79,896	208
Construction of buildings	104	10.3	1.36×More than typical	485	$57,031	212
Services to buildings and dwellings	95	9.4	1.40×More than typical	542	$32,432	371
Truck transportation	87	8.6	1.70×More than typical	913	$73,682	154
Offices of other health practitioners	83	8.2	1.35×More than typical	575	$45,024	172
Building equipment contractors	79	7.8	1.30×More than typical	609	$71,016	68

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 100,995 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 $167.4M on contracts performed in Cheyenne, WY metro area: $1,626 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $167.4M; −32% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,626; US $1,994
Sole-source: 3.8%; US 30%
Single offer: 12%; 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

Top recipients

THE ARMORED GROUP LLC$26.4M16%
BRIDGER RICHARD JV LLC$25.7M15%
AECOM + TETRA TECH JOINT VENTURE$22.7M14%
TRANS AERO LLC$12.1M7.3%
HENSEL PHELPS CONSTRUCTION CO$11.1M6.6%

Spending by fiscal year

134.1MFY2017
166.6MFY2018
238.8MFY2019
91.3MFY2020
109.1MFY2021
222.1MFY2022
121.1MFY2023
290.1M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$52.8M32%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$32.9M20%
Motor vehicle manufacturing · 3361$25.6M15%
Nonscheduled air transportation · 4812$12.1M7.3%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$7.8M4.7%
Professional and commercial equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers · 4234

Largest awards

WEAPONS STORAGE AND MAINTENANCE FACILITY, F.E. WARREN AFB, WY$162.3M
FLUOR FEDERAL SOLUTIONS, LLC· Laramie County, WY· Construction & real property· Dec 7, 2018 – Oct 27, 2025· W9128F19C0005
CONSTRUCT HELO/TRF OPS/AMU AND ALERT FAC$135.1M
CONTI FEDERAL SERVICES, LLC· Laramie County, WY· Construction & real property· Sep 16, 2022 – May 26, 2026· W9128F22C0029
CONSTRUCTION OF GBSD INTEGRATED COMMAND CENTER, F. E. WARREN AFB$119M
HENSEL PHELPS CONSTRUCTION CO· Laramie County, WY· Construction & real property· Jan 25, 2024 – May 27, 2026· W9128F24C0009
CONSTRUCTION OF MISSILE HANDLING COMPLEX (MHC), F.E. WARREN AFB, WY

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 $750.4M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Cheyenne, WY metro area: $7,290 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $750.4M; +0.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,290; US $12,955
Loan face value: $102.5M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.4%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$400M53%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$157.8M21%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$44.2M5.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$30.3M4.0%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$30.2M4.0%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$14.8M2.0%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$9.6M1.3%
32.004 · Universal Service Fund - Schools and Libraries$8.7M1.2%

Top recipients (organizations)

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF CITY OF CHEYENN$18.2M2.4%
CHEYENNE, WY
LARAMIE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE$7M0.9%
CHEYENNE, WY
VISIONARY COMMUNICATIONS LLC$4.8M0.6%
GILLETTE, WY
CHEYENNE REGIONAL AIRPORT BOARD$4.3M0.6%
CHEYENNE, WY
CITY OF CHEYENNE$2.6M

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$484.1M65%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$173.6M23%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Railroad Retirement Board$30.2M4.0%
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$16.9M2.3%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Farm Service Agency$9M

Assistance by fiscal year

644.4MFY2021
662.5MFY2022
646.3MFY2023
660.7MFY2024
744.9MFY2025
750.4MFY2026

County aggregates

92%

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 Cheyenne, 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.

Laramie CountyCentral county73102,938

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

CheyennePrincipal city65,239

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.

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/M16940

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Cheyenne, 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 Cheyenne, 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

Improved14

Declined6

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