Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 7,379, settled in 1875. 2.1 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Wyoming town.
Lander grades B− overall, 15th of 28 graded towns in Wyoming, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 88% of U.S. towns. On the other side, the median household income is $75K, and 10% of residents live below the poverty line. 52% of working residents work locally in Lander, where Wyoming’s towns sit at 49% and U.S. towns at 8%. Lander's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 92% of U.S. towns. Lander has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them US Post Office and Courthouse-Lander Main and Lander Downtown Historic District.
Where Lander beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wyoming), ordered by how far Lander is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 193 in 1880, 7,546 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1914 and 3 maps from 1952 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lander, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Lander.
Lander is a long drive from an emergency room, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Wyoming.
The nearest emergency room, Sagewest Health Care, is 21.2 miles away in a straight line.
67% of adults had a checkup this year in Lander. Lander beats the Wyoming average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 29% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Lander.
| Lander | Wyoming towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 67% | 68% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 33% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 36% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Lander | WY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 9.3% | 11.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Fremont County School District # 1. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Lander Valley High School, with 538 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gannett Peak ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–3 | Grades K–3 | 436 | B+ |
| Lander Valley High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 538 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WY on state tests and graduation
4.0 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. Lander’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Sinks Canyon State Park, at 24 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sinks Canyon State Park | 0.6 mi | 24 |
| 2. Popo Agie Park | — | 6 |
| 3. Veterans Memorial | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Lander has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. The July high in Lander is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Since 2013, Lander has lost 406 jobs, to 3,700 in 2023. The top destinations are Riverton (8%), Fort Washakie (6%) and Cheyenne (2%).
| Lander | Wyoming towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 15 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $75,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1989, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Lander.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 6 years of the Riverton area’s $65K median household income, the typical home (about $386K) costs more against local pay than in 76% of Wyoming towns; that ratio is one input to its C+ for cost of living.
The typical Lander home is worth about $386,000, up 2% in a year, close to the Wyoming typical home.
| Lander | Wyoming towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $896 a month | $928 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 70% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Lander; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Lander residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Wyoming.
3 places in Lander on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Lander.
City in Wyoming, United States
Lander is a city in and the county seat of Fremont County, Wyoming. It is located in central Wyoming, along the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River, just south of the Wind River Indian Reservation. It is a tourism center with several nearby guest ranches. Its population was 7,546 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Lander grades B− overall, better than 48% of U.S. towns and #15 of 28 in Wyoming. It grades A− for health and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
That is 6 years of the area's median household income ($64,904 across the Riverton, WY area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
11 notable people were born here, including Nate Marquardt and Guy Trosper.
