Sweetwater
Wyoming

What stands out

Against every county in America, Sweetwater County is unusual in three ways: rainfall is among the driest in America (7 inches a year), natural-hazard risk is in the bottom 7% of American counties (7 of 100), and the share working from home is in the bottom 8% of American counties (3%). Within Wyoming it ranks 1st of 23 counties for rainfall, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. 42,079 people live here with you. The population held steady at 0.3% last year, and more Americans moved out than in (net -180).

Wyoming has no income tax, no estate tax and low property taxes, funded by mineral severance taxes and a sovereign wealth fund. It has the smallest population of any state, and Teton County around Jackson has the highest average income of any county in the country, with home prices to match. Winters are long and wind is constant; most of the state is more than an hour from a commercial airport.

Money

The typical household here brings in $79,375 a year, higher than 87% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $68,269. Unemployment runs 4.2%, higher than 74% of American counties. 3% of workers work from home.

Wyoming has no state income tax, so none of that goes to the state.

Home

The median home costs $294K, pricier than 68% of American counties, about 2.5 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $881 a month. Property tax is 0.59% of home value, roughly $1,411 a year on that median home, lower than 79% of American counties. 73% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.6 per 1,000 residents, lower than 64% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 32 people per 100,000 in 2024, one of the harder-hit counties in the country.

A child born here can expect to live 75.2 years, shorter than 58% of American counties. There are 52 active physicians in the county, about 12.4 per 10,000 people. 11.7% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 3.34 where 3.0 is national grade level, higher than 92% of American counties. 93% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 55 points, among the most lopsided counties in the country. 54% of eligible voters turned out. Under Wyoming law you can carry a concealed handgun without a permit, abortion is banned with narrow exceptions, and marijuana is illegal.

Weather and risk

The year averages 45°F, highs near 59 and lows near 31, colder than 90% of American counties. About 7 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 7 out of 100, safer than 93% of American counties; the county has had 4 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 215 Mbps down, faster than 57% of American counties. There are 2 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 0.8 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people, 3 breweries, 2 National Park Service sites.