Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Laramie grades B overall, ranked 10th of 28 in Wyoming, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 82% of the country and natural-hazard risk is low. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $386K for a typical one and 6.2 times the Laramie area’s $62K median household income. 67% of working residents work locally in Laramie, above both Wyoming’s towns (49%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Ames Monument (NHL) and Ivinson Mansion and Grounds. Laramie is more walkable than 88% of U.S. towns.
Where Laramie beats most towns.
Its 20 National Register listings are more than in 90% of Wyoming towns with a listing.
Census counts: 828 in 1870, 31,407 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1860 and 2 maps from 1963 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wyoming), ordered by how far Laramie is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Laramie, 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 Laramie.
Laramie is shaped by its college students, carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Wyoming (mostly cold waves) and has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns.
Its public schools are run by the Albany County School District #1. Three of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laramie Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 735 | B |
| Laramie High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,070 | B− |
| Snowy Range AcademyTop results in townGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 260 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WY on state tests and graduation
30 miles of trail in 19 parks and preserves. Laramie’s trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Pilot Hill Recreation Area, 316 acres with 8.8 miles of trail.
| Laramie | Wyoming towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.7 miles per square mile | 1.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 8.8% | 8.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pilot Hill Recreation Area | 8.8 mi | 316 |
| 2. LaPrele Park | 0.9 mi | 29 |
| 3. Greenbelt Park | 0.7 mi | 51 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 96% of Wyoming towns, with expected losses of about $212 per resident a year; that rating is what its A for hazard risk is built on.
The FEMA risk score in Laramie is 8 of 100. Since 2010, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Laramie.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 7,616 U.S. towns with household incomes like Laramie’s, it is healthier than 99%, so its A− isn’t only a matter of income.
24% of adults have high blood pressure in Laramie. Of the 28 Wyoming towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Laramie. 7% of adults have diabetes in Laramie.
| Laramie | Wyoming towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7% | 11% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 36% | 35% |
| What stands out | Laramie | WY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.5% | 8.9% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 7% | 10.9% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 9.4% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Laramie 4se weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 126 days, shorter than in 99% of U.S. towns.
Laramie has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Only 2 of the 28 Wyoming towns we compare have a lower July high than Laramie.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
23% of Laramie residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Laramie has added 813 jobs, to 13,689 in 2023. The top destinations are Cheyenne (8%), Casper (2%) and Fort Collins (1%).
| Laramie | Wyoming towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 23% | 9.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 15 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 11% | 6.3% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Reported crimes fell from 515 to 359 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Only 1 of the 20 Wyoming towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Laramie.
| Laramie | Wyoming towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9.9 per 1,000 residents | 8.5 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
At 6.2 years of the Laramie area’s $62K median household income, the typical home (about $386K) costs more against local pay than in 84% of Wyoming towns; that ratio is one input to its C for cost of living.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Laramie. Close and well known come first.
17 mi LandmarkAmes Monument
40 mi MuseumQuebec-One Missile Alert Facility
in town MuseumLaramie Plains Museum30 mi Ski areaSnowy Range36 runs · 876 ft verticalin town MuseumWyoming House for Historic Women35 mi GardenShambhala Botanic GardensAmes Monument: Jack Boucher, Public domain · Quebec-One Missile Alert Facility: Jayron32, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Laramie Plains Museum: Cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Laramie
College town 32 of every 100 Laramie residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wyoming.
20 places in Laramie on the National Register of Historic Places.
32 notable people were born in Laramie.
City in Wyoming, United States
Laramie () is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States, known for its high elevation at 7,200 feet (2,200 m), for its railroad history, and as the home of the University of Wyoming. The population was 31,407 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Wyoming. Located on the Laramie River, the city is west of Cheyenne and 25 miles (40 km) north of the Colorado state line, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287. After 12,000 years or more of Indigenous populations living in the area, Laramie was settled by European Americans in 1868 with the completion of the Union Pacific Railroad line to the area, which crosses the Laramie River…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Laramie grades B overall, better than 63% of U.S. towns and #10 of 28 in Wyoming. It grades A− for health, B− for safety and B− for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
32 notable people were born here, including Jim Beaver and Jaycee Carroll.
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