Moving to Washington from Wyoming

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Wyoming to Washington? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Wyoming to Washington, you would find that Washington is 10.4% more expensive than Wyoming. A $75,000 salary in Wyoming would need to be roughly $82,208 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Wyoming and Washington.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $82,208

To maintain the same standard of living in Washington

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 8.6% more

Groceries

pay 16.3% more

Transportation

pay 11.0% more

Housing

pay 6.8% more

Childcare

pay 20.7% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 10.3% more

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Washington compared to Wyoming.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

WY
190
WA
349
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

WY
1458
WA
2819

Wyoming performs better than Washington across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

WY
11.2%
WA
6.1%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

WY
34.6%
WA
31.1%

Washington performs significantly better than Wyoming across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

WY
$285,100
WA
$519,800
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

WY
$968
WA
$1,682

Wyoming performs better than Washington across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

WY
89.3%
WA
93.1%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

WY
18 min
WA
27 min

Wyoming generally does better on infrastructure, though Washington leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

WY
3.6%
WA
5.3%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

WY
$67,568
WA
$87,768

Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Wyoming leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

WY
76.3 yrs
WA
79.2 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

WY
20%
WA
26%

Washington performs significantly better than Wyoming across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Cheyenne Rain: 15.9 in/yr (405 mm)
58° / 34°F

Avg. annual high / low

Olympia Rain: 50.0 in/yr (1270 mm)
60° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Cheyenne Olympia
Jan–Mar 42°/20°F (6°/-6°C) 50°/34°F (10°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 65°/40°F (18°/4°C) 65°/43°F (18°/6°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/52°F (26°/11°C) 76°/49°F (24°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 48°/25°F (9°/-4°C) 51°/36°F (11°/2°C)
View all months
Month Cheyenne Olympia
Jan 40°/18°F (4.2°/-7.8°C) 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C)
Feb 40°/19°F (4.7°/-7.4°C) 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C)
Mar 47°/24°F (8.6°/-4.2°C) 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C)
Apr 55°/31°F (12.7°/-0.7°C) 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C)
May 65°/40°F (18.2°/4.6°C) 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C)
Jun 75°/49°F (24.1°/9.4°C) 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C)
Jul 83°/56°F (28.6°/13.1°C) 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C)
Aug 81°/54°F (27.3°/12.3°C) 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C)
Sep 72°/45°F (22.1°/7.1°C) 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C)
Oct 59°/34°F (14.9°/1.1°C) 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C)
Nov 47°/24°F (8.1°/-4.3°C) 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C)
Dec 38°/17°F (3.4°/-8.2°C) 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Washington than Wyoming?

On average Washington is around 10% pricier than Wyoming, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Washington?

Budget about $20,552 for 3 months in Washington (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Washington safe?

Wyoming performs better than Washington across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Washington compared to Wyoming?

Washington performs significantly better than Wyoming across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Washington compared to Wyoming?

The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 58°F in Cheyenne. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Cheyenne gets 15.9 in.

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