Picture this: gorgeous mountain views, easy access to the outdoors, a tight-knit community and a cozy main street with everything you need to live, work and relax. Mountain towns sound incredibly idyllic until you check out the cost of living there. Boulder, Jackson, Telluride, Park City… The cost of living in these super-attractive towns have skyrocketed for a reason. Appalachian mountain towns like Asheville, or towns in the Ouachita mountains in Arkansas, offer mountain living for a lot less. Still, if it’s the majestic mountains of the West or bust, Laramie, Wyoming is the place to be.
Laramie has a population of 31,000 and sits at an elevation of 7,200 feet. It’s located near loads of outdoor recreational options, including hiking, mountain biking and skiing. The town offers easy access to Medicine Bow National Forest, Vedauwoo Recreation Area, Roosevelt National Forest and so many more amazing spots. It’s not far from Steamboat Springs and Winter Park, Colorado too.
If you’re not out hitting the trails in one way or another, spending time in Laramie’s revitalized downtown is a delight. Buildings are bedecked in murals, there are plenty of great restaurants, a live music scene centers on the historic Gryphon Theater and the new 307 Film Fest is poised to make a mark on the festival scene. Not only that, the University of Wyoming adds a hip college vibe to the town.
Now for the best part: according to the Council for Community and Economic Research, the cost of living in Laramie is 8 percent less than the national average. The average home price is $353,517, and locals pay $1,012 in average rent for a two-bedroom apartment. As a comparison, the average home in Boulder costs $991,123, and a two-bedroom apartment costs at least $2,450 a month.
So, if you’d rather put your money towards outdoor gear instead of rent, check out Laramie for an affordable mountain town option.