Most Americans have never been to small town Wyoming. However, as the Wyomingite who live there know, small town Wyoming is an awesome place to call home.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Wyoming has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Equality State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.
After analyzing more than 38 of Wyoming’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Wyoming where you’d never want to live:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the worst small towns in Wyoming for 2024:
- Fort Washakie
- Arapahoe
- Ethete
- Fox Farm-College
- Lusk
- South Greeley
- Marbleton
- Greybull
- Basin
- Wright
So what is the worst small town to call home in Wyoming for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Fort Washakie is the worst small town to live in Wyoming.
While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Fort Washakie home. Everyone
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Wyoming or the worst places to live in Wyoming.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Wyoming For 2024
1. Fort Washakie
/10
Population: 1,481
Median Home Value: $201,775
Median Income: $40,000
Unemployment Rate: 18.5%
2. Arapahoe
/10
Population: 1,596
Median Home Value: $204,035
Median Income: $64,886
Unemployment Rate: 18.6%
3. Ethete
/10
Population: 1,471
Median Home Value: $146,026
Median Income: $80,000
Unemployment Rate: 27.1%
4. Fox Farm-College
/10
Population: 4,226
Median Home Value: $0
Median Income: $53,486
Unemployment Rate: 1.9%
5. Lusk
/10
Population: 1,505
Median Home Value: $129,179
Median Income: $46,797
Unemployment Rate: 9.3%
6. South Greeley
/10
Population: 3,787
Median Home Value: $92,412
Median Income: $51,392
Unemployment Rate: 6.7%
7. Marbleton
/10
Population: 1,187
Median Home Value: $214,643
Median Income: $71,750
Unemployment Rate: 13.0%
8. Greybull
/10
Population: 2,145
Median Home Value: $222,773
Median Income: $64,000
Unemployment Rate: 12.1%
9. Basin
/10
Population: 1,275
Median Home Value: $264,763
Median Income: $55,635
Unemployment Rate: 2.0%
10. Wright
/10
Population: 1,509
Median Home Value: $255,271
Median Income: $88,150
Unemployment Rate: 1.8%
Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Wyoming is lousy or not?
To rank the worst small towns to live in Wyoming, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.
We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.
Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower, the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 38 to be exact.
We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Wyoming.
There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Wyoming
If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Equality State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The worst small towns in Wyoming are Fort Washakie, Arapahoe, Ethete, Fox Farm-College, Lusk, South Greeley, Marbleton, Greybull, Basin, and Wright.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Wyoming, according to science:
- Wilson (Pop. 1,303)
- Pinedale (Pop. 1,946)
- Rafter J Ranch (Pop. 1,233)
For more Wyoming reading, check out:
Worst Small Towns In Wyoming
| Rank | Town | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Washakie | 1,481 | 18.5% | $201,775 | $40,000 |
| 2 | Arapahoe | 1,596 | 18.6% | $204,035 | $64,886 |
| 3 | Ethete | 1,471 | 27.1% | $146,026 | $80,000 |
| 4 | Fox Farm-College | 4,226 | 1.9% | $0 | $53,486 |
| 5 | Lusk | 1,505 | 9.3% | $129,179 | $46,797 |
| 6 | South Greeley | 3,787 | 6.7% | $92,412 | $51,392 |
| 7 | Marbleton | 1,187 | 13.0% | $214,643 | $71,750 |
| 8 | Greybull | 2,145 | 12.1% | $222,773 | $64,000 |
| 9 | Basin | 1,275 | 2.0% | $264,763 | $55,635 |
| 10 | Wright | 1,509 | 1.8% | $255,271 | $88,150 |
| 11 | Mills | 4,218 | 6.1% | $188,968 | $55,231 |
| 12 | Afton | 2,303 | 6.3% | $456,878 | $52,273 |
| 13 | Wheatland | 3,575 | 1.8% | $284,240 | $53,627 |
| 14 | Pine Bluffs | 1,363 | 0.7% | $296,573 | $62,766 |
| 15 | Glenrock | 2,863 | 9.3% | $253,011 | $64,797 |
| 16 | Thermopolis | 2,722 | 0.9% | $201,285 | $66,591 |
| 17 | Evansville | 2,755 | 5.4% | $309,806 | $76,646 |
| 18 | Newcastle | 3,380 | 2.7% | $235,006 | $71,597 |
| 19 | Warren Afb | 2,836 | 11.8% | $0 | $58,856 |
| 20 | Buffalo | 4,475 | 4.0% | $380,906 | $55,245 |
| 21 | Sundance | 1,102 | 0.0% | $331,369 | $54,167 |
| 22 | Saratoga | 1,715 | 0.0% | $315,345 | $72,381 |
| 23 | Kemmerer | 2,640 | 1.0% | $220,190 | $71,284 |
| 24 | Lovell | 2,178 | 2.9% | $267,220 | $58,229 |
| 25 | North Rock Springs | 2,529 | 4.3% | $395,138 | $116,182 |
| 26 | Grover | 1,279 | 0.0% | $513,918 | $79,460 |
| 27 | Worland | 4,812 | 1.9% | $232,632 | $59,679 |
| 28 | Mountain View | 1,114 | 4.8% | $276,891 | $69,514 |
| 29 | Lyman | 1,736 | 4.2% | $291,867 | $100,875 |
| 30 | Hoback | 1,874 | 1.2% | $1,412,554 | $136,436 |
| 31 | Star Valley Ranch | 2,231 | 1.2% | $523,210 | $92,250 |
| 32 | Bar Nunn | 2,945 | 5.1% | $324,336 | $104,028 |
| 33 | Moose Wilson Road | 1,143 | 3.4% | $2,511,209 | $105,673 |
| 34 | Sleepy Hollow | 1,390 | 0.4% | $288,187 | $113,608 |
| 35 | South Park | 1,899 | 3.6% | $1,611,191 | $109,402 |
| 36 | Wilson | 1,303 | 0.0% | $3,055,176 | $128,981 |
| 37 | Pinedale | 1,946 | 0.0% | $415,658 | $95,120 |
| 38 | Rafter J Ranch | 1,233 | 0.0% | $1,137,577 | $144,844 |