Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,421, settled in 1884. 2.1 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Wyoming town.
Lusk’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and walkability and an A+ for civic life; its weakest is a C− for schools. 11% of residents are under 18 in Lusk, against 23% in Wyoming’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. Of the 29 Wyoming towns we compare, none has a higher median age than Lusk. 21% of the land in Lusk is conserved, above both the Wyoming town median (8.8%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). No town in Wyoming scores higher than Lusk on civic life. Lusk has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Lusk Water Tower and C and H Refinery Historic District. Lusk has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Lusk beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Wyoming), ordered by how far Lusk is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 253 in 1890, a peak of 2,092 in 1920, 1,541 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1886 and a map from 1981 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lusk, 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 Lusk.
Lusk’s median rent is $587 a month. Typical home values fell 6.8% in the year to September 2026. 51% of households own their home in Lusk.
| Lusk | Wyoming towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 51% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $587 a month | $927 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Niobrara County School District #1. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Niobrara County High School, with 387 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lusk ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 292 | D |
| Niobrara County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 387 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WY on state tests and graduation
3.3 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The trail density in Lusk is 1.6 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Northside Park | 0.7 mi | 16 |
| 2. Washington Park | 0.1 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Lusk has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 12° and about 53 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Only 1 of the 21 Wyoming towns we compare have a higher violent crime rate than Lusk.
| Lusk | Wyoming towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9.5 per 1,000 residents | 8.6 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Lusk beats the Wyoming average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 70% of Lusk adults had a checkup this year.
| Lusk | Wyoming towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 68% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 32% | 36% |
| What stands out | Lusk | WY |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.9% | 12.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.7% | 7% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 11.9% | 9.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
44% of Lusk’s working residents work right in town. Since 2013, Lusk has lost 86 jobs, to 561 in 2023. Among 29 Wyoming towns, just 2 have a lower average trip to work than Lusk.
| Lusk | Wyoming towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 10 minutes | 15 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 44% | 50% | 8% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Lusk; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Lusk residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wyoming.
3 places in Lusk on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Lusk.
Town in Wyoming, United States
Lusk is a town in and the county seat of Niobrara County, Wyoming. It is located in the High Plains. The town was founded in July 1886, by Frank S. Lusk, a renowned Wyoming rancher, partner in the Western Live Stock Company, and stockholder in the Wyoming Central Railway. Cattle ranching remains the primary industry in the town of Lusk. The population was 1,541 at the 2020 census. The town of Lusk is known for being the county seat of the least populated county in the least populated state in the US.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.1 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Wyoming town.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
7 notable people were born here, including Thomas Wilson Brown and Dick Ellsworth.
