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Living in Wyoming ยท 2026

Is $23,000 enough to live in Wyoming?

Single adult ยท WY ยท 2026 tax brackets ยท Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Very tight

Monthly take-home

$1,708

Avg monthly expenses

$1,876

Avg monthly surplus

$-168

Savings potential

~0%

After-tax take-home in Wyoming

Gross salary$23,000
Federal income taxโˆ’ $750
State income taxโˆ’ $0
Social Securityโˆ’ $1,426
Medicareโˆ’ $334
Annual take-home$20,490
Effective tax rate10.91%

How $23,000 feels in Wyoming cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 ยท Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan ร— COL ยท Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES ร— COL

Cheyenne

COL index: 0.91ร— national avg

Very tight
Rent (1BR)
$1,050
Food
$405
Transport
$159
Utilities
$150
Healthcare
$182
Total: $1,946/mo
Surplus: $-238/mo
Rent burden: 61.5% โ€” Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Cheyenne analysis โ†’

Casper

COL index: 0.88ร— national avg

Very tight
Rent (1BR)
$1,000
Food
$396
Transport
$154
Utilities
$145
Healthcare
$176
Total: $1,871/mo
Surplus: $-163/mo
Rent burden: 58.6% โ€” Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Casper analysis โ†’

Laramie

COL index: 0.85ร— national avg

Very tight
Rent (1BR)
$950
Food
$405
Transport
$149
Utilities
$140
Healthcare
$170
Total: $1,814/mo
Surplus: $-106/mo
Rent burden: 55.6% โ€” Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Laramie analysis โ†’

Gillette

COL index: 0.91ร— national avg

Very tight
Rent (1BR)
$1,050
Food
$405
Transport
$159
Utilities
$150
Healthcare
$182
Total: $1,946/mo
Surplus: $-238/mo
Rent burden: 61.5% โ€” Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Gillette analysis โ†’

Rock Springs

COL index: 0.88ร— national avg

Very tight
Rent (1BR)
$1,000
Food
$396
Transport
$154
Utilities
$145
Healthcare
$176
Total: $1,871/mo
Surplus: $-163/mo
Rent burden: 58.6% โ€” Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Rock Springs analysis โ†’

Sheridan

COL index: 0.85ร— national avg

Very tight
Rent (1BR)
$950
Food
$396
Transport
$149
Utilities
$140
Healthcare
$170
Total: $1,805/mo
Surplus: $-97/mo
Rent burden: 55.6% โ€” Unaffordable (> 50%)
Full Sheridan analysis โ†’

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $1,708 ($20,496/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%
Needs50%

$854

per month

  • โ€บRent / mortgage
  • โ€บGroceries
  • โ€บUtilities
  • โ€บInsurance
  • โ€บMinimum debt payments
  • โ€บTransportation
Wants30%

$512

per month

  • โ€บDining out
  • โ€บStreaming services
  • โ€บGym
  • โ€บHobbies
  • โ€บTravel
  • โ€บShopping
Savings20%

$342

per month

  • โ€บEmergency fund
  • โ€บ401(k) / IRA
  • โ€บInvestments
  • โ€บDown payment fund
  • โ€บDebt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$10,248

Wants / year

$6,149

Savings / year

$4,099

Salary Intelligence

Financial pressure in Cheyenne

Rent alone would take 61% of take-home income. This salary creates significant financial pressure in this city โ€” a $42,000 annual income or lower rent is needed to reach affordability.

Lifestyle score: 2.2/10 (Difficult)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $23,000 salary does not fully cover typical living expenses for a single adult in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Monthly costs exceed take-home pay by $238, indicating this income is insufficient for an independent lifestyle here without additional income or reduced spending.

Purchasing Power

Cheyenne is near the national cost-of-living average (index: 0.91). $23,000 here is roughly equivalent to $46,758 in San Francisco or $22,242 in an affordable city like Birmingham.

State & National Benchmark

$23,000 is 45% below the Wyoming individual median of $42,000. Consider negotiating a higher salary or exploring higher-paying roles in this state.

State individual median

$42,000

-45%

State household median

$72,509

-68%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions โ€” Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)
Contribute to a Traditional IRA โ€” Up to $1,540 in federal tax (22% bracket)

$23,000 vs. Wyoming income benchmarks

Individual median (Wyoming)

$42,000

-45% vs. this salary

Household median (Wyoming)

$72,509

-68% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Wyoming

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Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

Data updated monthly using government datasets.