7 Best Places To Call Home In Wyoming In 2025

With Yellowstone National Park in its northwest corner and Medicine Bow National Forest in its southeast, the mountainous state of Wyoming provides inexhaustible chances to explore or settle down. But who is to say you cannot do both? Wyoming also offers several small towns with affordable living, providing inhabitants with a comfortable base of operations from which to enjoy languid days or rugged adventures. Thermopolis's central location and family-friendly nature may grab your interest. Maybe it is the small and bonhomie town of Newcastle right on the edge of the Black Hills. This list of towns covers much of what this beautiful state offers. Read on, because your next home might well be waiting for you in the vast landscape of Wyoming's beauty.

Rawlins

At just over 8,000 people in the 2020 census, the county seat of Carbon County blends its past and present through the railroad. Founded in 1868 when the Union Pacific Railroad first arrived, present-day Rawlins is still a railroad division point all these years later. It has also become a popular spot for tourists because of its close proximity to Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest to the east. Still, its small-town, close-knit feel makes it a top candidate for those looking for an affordable and amicable new place to stay.

In town, the stone-walled Wyoming Frontier Prison Museum offers tours of its halls and history, while Tully Park, peaceful and serene, is a great quiet escape from the busy streets.

Thermopolis

Rest and relaxation are built into the very foundation of Thermopolis. Located in the heart of Wyoming, this town is famous for its mineral hot springs. Naturally heated, these mineral springs are renowned for their soothing and healing properties. If you are not interested in a relaxing soak, however, Thermopolis offers plenty more besides: long-flowing rivers that offer excellent fishing, several museums including the Wyoming Dinosaur Center, and a network of walking trails weaving throughout the Hot Springs State Park. Enjoy the family-friendly outings the town provides, or soak at length in Thermopolis's warm waters, where relaxation is synonymous with the town itself ... who would not feel right at home?

Worland

Located just north of Thermopolis, Worland is a “close-knit community that prides itself on its friendly atmosphere and small-town charm,” according to the town's website. Located on the Bighorn River, Worland offers views of the surrounding Bighorn Mountains, easily accessible from the town itself and home to hiking trails, fishing holes, and a wealth of other outdoor recreational opportunities—not least of which is that you may visit a large mammoth kill site from prehistoric times, located two and a half miles east of the town.

With its proximity to nature and strong community, Worland would already make a great town to call home. But add in the fact that its cost of living is eight percent lower than the state average, and you have all the more reason to scour the housing market.

Newcastle

Established in 1889 and steeped with culture and tradition, Newcastle provides a Western lifestyle mixed with modern recreation. Hiking trails abound in the nearby Black Hills, while even closer at hand, several major medical centers are a short drive away. The healthy economy provides abundant employment opportunities, while the town's relatively low cost of living ensures that those who call the town home have the best of all worlds. Even going so far as to advertise itself as an “excellent place to retire,” Newcastle, caught between sweeping grasslands and rolling hills, provides a quality of life for its inhabitants that is hard to match.

Visitors can also stop by the Anna Miller Museum, where admission is free for all ages. Alternatively, winter-season tourists may enjoy snowmobiling or skiing across 50 miles of well-maintained trails.

Pine Bluffs

Originally founded as Rock Ranch in 1868, Pine Bluffs was renamed after the army of pines crowding on the adjacent bluffs. The town bloomed and became the largest cattle shipping point on the Union Pacific Railroad. Nowadays, Pine Bluffs retains its frontier charm and offers a walking trail, disc golf course, and the Texas Trail Museum. With an affordable way of life and a strong sense of community, the town is a great benchmark for those looking to either travel or stay long-term.

And if you were one to stay, you would be far from the first: Archaeological evidence from the High Plains dig site, which you can visit, proves that Indigenous occupation in the area dates back nearly 10,000 years. If nothing else, take that as proof that Pine Bluffs and its immediate vicinity have, for millennia now, been desirable places to live.

Laramie

A growing and thriving college town (home to the University of Wyoming), Laramie is a mix of youthful energy and relaxing days. The town's website declares Laramie as the place “where recreation is a lifestyle,” emphasizing its outdoor environment and welcoming nature. Providing residents with activities for both younger and older audiences, Laramie also offers “more opportunities for the history buff than almost any other community in Wyoming” with its numerous museums and exhibits, and all just a short distance from the Medicine Bow National Forest. Downtown, you may enjoy murals and microbreweries—like Bond's Brewing Company or Black Tooth Brewing—while close by, there are several opportunities to try your adventurous hand at rock-climbing.

Laramie's economy is also stable, with much of its employment coming from the tourism industry and the University. A unique blend of young and old, vibrant and relaxing, Laramie is the heartbeat of Wyoming.

Gillette

Similar in size to Laramie, this town also fuses city life with the scenic and limitless outdoors. Downtown Gillette, for example, a place of pure Americana and Wild West vibes, is practically spilling over with museums, boutiques, and restaurants. The town offers two historic downtown walking tours, one of which includes the scene where outlaw Ray Montgomery defeated then-mayor Mark Shields to take over the position. During the summer, a tour of the still-operational Eagle Butte Coal Mine is also available to those looking for a blend of educational and exciting.

Just an hour outside the city, Devils Tower, the nation's first national monument, looms 1,200 feet above the Belle Fourche River and the surrounding Wyoming Plains. A giant and historical landmark, Devils Tower is as formidable as it is mysterious. Scientists agree that an intrusion of igneous material long ago formed the tower, but how that came to be is an ongoing matter of debate.

Not up for debate, though, is that Gillette serves as a perfect base of operations. Lively and affordable, the town of Gillette is where families thrive, and adventure awaits.

Final Thoughts

Wyoming is the land where ancient beauty meets modern accessibility. The ages-old hot springs of Thermopolis juxtapose nicely with its walking trails and museums. The tumultuous history of Gillette means it now has a fascinating and lively historic downtown. And it is not all just past-meets-present: With many lively yet low-populated towns, and an ever-stretching wilderness between them, Wyoming's best-suited places to grow old with the family are also perfect starting points to appreciating one of America's most untamed and complex states.