Cheyenne cost of living
Prices in the Cheyenne, WY metro area run at 96.5 against a national average of 100, ranking it #138 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 89.8.
What drives the number
Prices in Cheyenne run at 96.5 where the national average is 100, so about 3.5 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #138 of 387 metro areas. Against Wyoming as a whole it is 3.8 points more expensive, which is the usual direction: cities cost more than the states around them.
The parts move together here rather than pulling against each other: goods at 95.4, rents at 89.8, other services at 78.0. When the components agree, the headline number is a fair summary of the whole cost of living rather than a proxy for rent. Goods at 95.4 are themselves 4.6 points off national, which is a wide gap for a category that is mostly shipped in.
The number is most useful in reverse: a job here can pay less in cash and still leave a household better off, by roughly 3.5 per cent before anything else is considered.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Cheyenne is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,680 | $45,590 | $47,244 | $37,090 |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,660 | $31,140 | $32,269 | $34,580 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,310 | $28,820 | $29,865 | $30,480 |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,110 | $93,330 | $96,715 | $102,950 |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,090 | $43,070 | $44,632 | $43,630 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,060 | $61,650 | $63,886 | $57,440 |
| Registered Nurses | 1,040 | $99,860 | $103,482 | $93,600 |
| Cashiers | 890 | $32,330 | $33,503 | $31,190 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 96.5.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casper | 93.8 | 74.2 | #186 |
Cheyenne: common questions
Is Cheyenne expensive?
Prices are 3.5% below the national average, a parity of 96.5 where the country is 100. It ranks #138 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Wyoming as a whole it is 3.8 points more expensive.
What salary do you need in Cheyenne?
The median worker there earns $50,100, which buys what $51,917 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 89.8 against goods at 95.4. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.