Cheyenne, Wyoming is the largest city in the state, and the state capitol, with about 60,000 people.
If you love the outdoors and a rural lifestyle, you will probably love Cheyenne.
If you need a big city life, you may not like it as well.
The scenery is beautiful and there is no limit to the outdoor activities you can enjoy here.
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Pros of Living in Cheyenne, WY
1. The Great Outdoors
Cheyenne is in the southeast, not exactly the most scenic part of the state.
Even so, you are close enough to the Rockies, and two national parks, to be able to enjoy them any time you want.
Most people there are outdoor enthusiasts.
There is biking, hiking, horseback riding, and many other activities to enjoy.
The scenery is beautiful, and you can just enjoy it without doing anything, too, if you like.
The city has 37 miles of Greenway trails which can be used year round.
2. Summer
Summers are a great time to be in Cheyenne.
Days are warm, but rarely uncomfortably hot.
It cools down at night.
There is not a lot of humidity, so it’s comfortable outside almost all the time.
Summer makes up for the harsh winter to some extent.
It’s a great time to enjoy outdoor activities, or go camping and explore the countryside.
You can also open the windows of your house in summer, and you won’t need air conditioning most of the time.
3. Cost of Living
The cost of living in Cheyenne is about five percent lower than the national average, though it is three percent higher than the rest of the state of Wyoming.
Housing is a lot less expensive, at about 10 percent below the national average.
Groceries are a little more expensive, but utilities are as much as 20 percent below the national average.
4. Quality of Life
It may not be for everyone, but there is a lot to recommend about rural life.
Cheyenne does have about 60,000 people, but it still feels like a small rural town.
The cost of living is fairly low, and there are some good jobs to be had.
If you love the outdoors, you will love Cheyenne, except during the winter.
People tend to spend time outdoors, and they are active, which is good for physical and mental health.
5. Environmental Quality
There are not a lot of factories or other entities that cause a lot of pollution in Cheyenne.
The American Lung Association says Cheyenne is the third least polluted city in the nation.
The air quality index is at 97.8.
The water is also clean and pure without many pollutants.
You can be very healthy here, especially if you are active in the outdoors.
There are a lot of things that promote a healthy lifestyle here, and not many that detract.
6. Low Taxes
There is no income tax in Wyoming, so that is not a concern.
The sales tax is six percent, which is about the national average.
Wyoming has one of the lowest property tax rates in the nation, and that is not high in Cheyenne either.
There are not a lot of people, and that cuts down on the need for some public services, which makes taxes less necessary for the government.
The state also gets a lot of money from oil and mineral rights.
This is also a good tax structure for businesses.
7. Friendly People
The spirit of the Old West lives in Cheyenne.
People are generally friendly, though you may have a harder time making close friends.
Even so, you will be treated well by people for the most part.
It’s called the equality state, and that attitude seems to be alive and well in Cheyenne.
People tend to care more about your character than anything else.
8. Not Much Traffic
It is a rural area with not a lot of people.
Even with about 60,000, and it being the largest city in the state, traffic is largely not an issue.
The average commute time is less than 15 minutes, and the area of the city itself is not that large.
Rush hour is not very hard to negotiate, and it can be avoided entirely with a little planning.
Once you get out of town, there may not be any other cars on the road at all.
Not having a lot of traffic is one of the nicer benefits of rural life.
Cons of Living in Cheyenne, Wy
1. Winter
The greatest downside of Cheyenne is the winter. it is very cold, and the wind seems to blow all the time, making the cold feel even colder.
There are four seasons, but winter seems to be the longest.
There is an inch or more snowfall on about 20 days out of the year, and there are a few snowstorms each winter that depose five inches in a day.
The city averages 58 inches per year.
The long months of cold weather are a greater obstacle than snow to most people who live here.
2. The Wind
From October through April, it seems there is constant wind in Cheyenne, and Wyoming in general.
It makes winter harder and impacts both fall and spring as well.
The flat plains have nothing to stop the wind, so it keeps going.
The jet stream goes east to west, and Wyoming gets squeezed between high and low air pressure, which makes for perfect windy conditions.
It can also be windy during the summer months.
3. Lack of Entertainment
Most people are out enjoying outdoor activities.
There is not a lot of entertainment otherwise.
There are a few landmarks, points of interest and museums, but once you have seen them there is not much left.
There are Frontier Days and an outdoor rodeo that has been held here since 1897, and it is a big deal regionally.
There are not many other events or entertainment options.
Coming from a larger city, you may find it dull.
4. The Culture
There are great people in Wyoming and they have their own culture.
They are conservative, they like guns, and they eat a lot of meat.
They are tolerant of others for the most part, but they are not going to change their habits for you.
If a strongly conservative area bothers you, you may not like it here.
Most people don’t care what you do, but they are also going to do what they want to do.
This could also be a positive, but it is something to be aware of.
5. Crime Rate
The property crime rate is above the national average, but the sparse population skews the crime rate statistics.
When you have a lower population, even a couple of crimes are going to make the rate seem higher.
Murder, robbery, and assault are all below the national rate, while rape is above.
Property crime is nearly double the national rate and could be considered a bigger issue than violent crime.
6. Isolation
For some, this might be a good thing, but you can start to feel isolated in Cheynne and in the state itself.
There is no hustle and bustle in a big city, and it is quiet most of the time.
It’s a long way to anywhere, especially if you are driving.
Once you leave town, there are plains — nothing but grass as far as the eye can see.
There is a regional airport, which can get you to a major airport.
The remoteness of Cheyenne gets to some people.
7. Poverty
Government statistics estimate almost nine percent of the population in Cheyenne lives below the poverty level.
The national average is 13 percent.
That is, of course, below the national average, but still high.
There is a homeless issue as well, mostly made up of people moving there from out of state.
Many people below the poverty line work full-time jobs.
There are not a lot of services offered in Wyoming, which makes poverty even worse.
8. Not Much Diversity
Cheyenne is about 85 percent white and about three percent black.
American Indians are about one percent, and Asians are about two percent.
That does not leave much room for diversity.
Culturally, there is not much diversity either.
This could bother some people, though it is not necessarily intentional.
There may not be a lot of diversity in cuisine either, since there are so few ethnic groups represented.
Pros and Cons of Living in Cheyenne, WY – Summary Table
| Pros of Living in Cheyenne, WY | Cons of Living in Cheyenne, Wy |
|---|---|
| 1. The Great Outdoors | 1. Winter |
| 2. Summer | 2. The Wind |
| 3. Cost of Living | 3. Lack of Entertainment |
| 4. Quality of Life | 4. The Culture |
| 5. Environmental Quality | 5. Crime Rate |
| 6. Low Taxes | 6. Isolation |
| 7. Friendly People | 7. Poverty |
| 8. Not Much Traffic | 8. Not Much Diversity |
Cheyenne Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Cheyenne Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Cheyenne come to be?
On July 4, 1867, the Union Pacific Railroad announced it had chosen a site to be the headquarters of its mountain region.
The site became the city of Cheyenne.
It was incorporated in August of that year, and the train tracks reached the city that November.
Is Cheyenne a growing city?
The last two decades have seen the city grow by about 10 percent each decade.
Since 200 the city has grown from 53,000 to an estimated 64,000.
It grew by 45 percent in the 1950s.
What does Cheyenne mean?
It is a Lakota word that means “people of a different language.”
It refers to a nomadic tribe that arrived in the area in the 1600s.
The city was named after the Native Americans who called themselves Cheyenne.
What is Pioneer Days?
Pioneer Days is an annual festival that has been going on since 1897.
It is one of the largest outdoor rodeos as the centerpiece but has many types of entertainment.
It attracts 200,000 people from all over the world.
It is held in the last 10 days of July.
What is the Cheyenne known for?
It is considered to be a classic example of old Western culture.
Railroads, rodeos, and western-themed attractions are what make the town what it is.
