Moving Advice

• Fall is the best time of year for moving to Wyoming. This season tends to be less rainy and the temperatures are not as extreme as during the summer and winter.
• If you are moving to Wyoming to areas around the national parks, keep in mind that tourist traffic can lead to congested roads at all times of year.
• All of the cities in Wyoming host well-attended festivals and events. Pay attention to your city’s calendar to avoid traffic delays.
• Summers are extremely hot and winters are extremely cold. Make sure your vehicle is in good working order, with good tires, as well as fully functioning brakes and radiator.
• Between urban areas, there are long stretches of road without service areas. Make sure to bring plenty of water, and if you must stop along the way, stay near your car.
• Many cities in Wyoming require licenses for both dogs and cats. Call your local city to find out what you need to do to safely bring your pet with you.
• Moving permits aren’t required in Wyoming. However, check with your new town to make sure your moving truck can be parked on the street.

Change your address online. To make your move from California to Wyoming easier, consider changing your address online. It is easy to do, inexpensive, and will ensure that your mail arrives to your new home with you.

Cities and Metro Areas

Whether you’re moving to Wyoming for its natural surroundings, its historical heritage or its cutting-edge energy sector, you’ll have plenty of cities to choose from when deciding on a new home. There’s the state capital, Cheyenne, with its rich cultural heritage and bustling city life. Rock Springs is a relatively young town with a median age of 35 and offers young families plenty of arts, culture and opportunities to get outside and play. Gillette boasts the highest average household income but housing prices are only slightly higher than the state average. Casper’s top-ranked schools, thriving arts and cultural scene, diverse economy and abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities boost this city up on the list of best places to living in Wyoming.

Cost of Living

The quality of life in Wyoming is enhanced by clean air and water, as well as some of the most beautiful natural surroundings in America. While this is enough to sell many on moving to the state, it’s still important to consider how the cost of living in Wyoming will affect your personal finances. Factors such as state and local taxes, the availability of housing and natural resources, as well as the local production of food and goods all impact the cost of living in each state, which varies significantly across the country.

Home prices in Wyoming have appreciated slightly lower than the national level. Looking back three years at the median price in October 2019 compared to October 2022, prices have increased 32.31.0% in Wyoming VS 35.8% nationwide.

As of October 2022, the median price for a home in the state was $430,000, which is about the same as last year’s median price.

Climate

With a semi-arid, continental climate, Wyoming is one of the driest and windiest states, with an average rainfall throughout the state of less than 10 inches per year, most of it in late spring and early summer. If you are moving to Wyoming, you will find some extreme temperatures as well. Summers average between 85 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, while at night, the temperature drops significantly.

Winters are cold and snowy, with elevation making it colder in some places, but warm winds can bring unexpected warmer air. Spring and summer are also when you can expect thunderstorms and, in the southeast, even tornadoes. Listen carefully to the local weather reports when moving to Wyoming during these seasons!

Education

There are a number of good educational institutes to choose from if you’re moving to Wyoming. Current school rankings (elementary, middle and high schools), campus and district zoning/location maps, information and reviews are available online for parents moving to Wyoming.

• Elementary Schools: Fort Casper Academy in Casper, Henderson Elementary in Cheyenne and Highland Park Elementary are among the top five elementary schools.
• High Schools: Three of the top-ranked high schools are Big Horn High School in Big Horn, Star Valley High School in Afton and Jackson Hole High School in Jackson.
• Higher Education: Students moving to Wyoming can attend the University of Wyoming in Laramie or Casper College, which acts as a satellite college of UW. Other higher educational institutions include the University of Phoenix and the Institute of Business and Medical Careers in Cheyenne, and most cities have community colleges that offer for-credit courses.

Government

Want to take care of important (mandatory) tasks before moving to Wyoming? Many of the items required for a move to Wyoming can be found online. Wyoming’s Official State Website has a lot of useful information about moving to, living in, and working in Wyoming.

Wyoming Government Resources

• Register to vote in person at your county clerk’s office or online.
• The Wyoming Department of Transportation requires that you obtain a Wyoming driver license within 120 visiting days or as soon as you’ve secured employment after moving to Wyoming. You must register your vehicle within 30 days of becoming a resident, and the costs vary depending on its year, make and model. It costs $9 to transfer an out-of-state title, $5 for a VIN inspection and $10 to record any lien.
• There are no toll roads in Wyoming.
• Find your local United States Post Office online.
• Wyoming doesn’t levy an excise tax. However, it does levy property taxes on the state and local levels. Fortunately, this is offset by Wyoming’s lack of income taxation. For more tax information visit IRS.gov.
• Wastewater and sewer are regulated by each city’s Public Service Commission. Trash and recycling are picked up curbside twice a week, and can be separated into compost, landfill trash and recyclables.