Even as the country has undergone a year-over-year increase in violent crime, Wyoming has held out as an oasis of relative safety. This is according to the FBI’s most recent crime report, which found the state’s overall rates to be less than half of the national average.
Leading the state was Lander, located about 120 miles west of Casper. The town of 7,700 saw virtually no violent crime during 2016. Trailing not far behind it was Sheridan, where the town’s 18,000 residents saw fewer than one violent crime per 1,000 people—a rate 80% lower than the national average.
The good news doesn’t stop there. Overall, Wyoming residents were 12% less likely to be a victim of property crime than the average American the year the data was collected. Of all the reporting towns, Worland took home the prize of fewest property crimes per citizen, with only 11.6 incidents per 1,000 people.
Trends like these have done little to dampen legislators’ enthusiasm for bills they hope will deter crime, including a controversial “stand your ground” bill. The recently passed law extends the preexisting “castle doctrine,” which absolves a person of having to determine whether retreat is reasonable before using deadly force in their own home, to public spaces.
Meanwhile, the state has sought to respond to the current wave of school shootings throughout the country by establishing a hotline that students, parents, and school faculty can use to anonymously report a possible threat. Known as Safe2Tell, the number can be used to report cases of bullying and underage substance misuse, as well as potentially suicidal or homicidal behavior. Wyoming Attorney General, Peter Michael, says the hotline is “part of the answer to preventing violence in, and associated with, our schools.”
Of course, resources don’t stop there. For an easy-to-navigate compilation of safety resources, including child abuse prevention and emergency preparedness, visit our Wyoming Safety Directory.
The 10 Safest Cities in Wyoming
1. Lander
Population: 7,699
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0
Property crimes per 1,000: 31.43
Total crimes: 0% violent, 100% property
2. Sheridan
Population: 17,956
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.95
Property crimes per 1,000: 20.16
Total crimes: 4.70% violent, 95.30% property
3. Cody
Population: 9,842
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.12
Property crimes per 1,000: 22.45
Total crimes: 4.98% violent, 95.02% property
4. Worland
Population: 5,348
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.12
Property crimes per 1,000: 11.59
Total crimes: 9.68% violent, 90.32% property
5. Casper
Population: 61,343
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.14
Property crimes per 1,000: 27.21
Total crimes: 4.19% violent, 95.18% property
6. Laramie
Population: 32,411
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.17
Property crimes per 1,000: 12.65
Total crimes: 9.27% violent, 90.73% property
7. Evanston
Population: 12,087
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.24
Property crimes per 1,000: 28.71
Total crimes: 4.32% violent, 95.68% property
8. Gillette
Population: 33,218
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.87
Property crimes per 1,000: 21.31
Total crimes: 8.76% violent, 91.24% property
9. Rawlins
Population: 9,004
Violent crimes per 1,000: 1.89
Property crimes per 1,000: 31.10
Total crimes: 6.07% violent, 93.93% property
10. Powell
Population: 6,491
Violent crimes per 1,000: 2.00
Property crimes per 1,000: 23.42
Total crimes: 8.55% violent, 91.45% property
How We Chose the Safest Cities in Wyoming
To identify the ten safest cities in Wyoming, we reviewed the 2016 FBI crime report statistics and population data. Cities that fell below identified population thresholds or that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI were excluded from the ranking system.
Our evaluation is based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape, and robbery) in each city. If there was a tie, we also factored in the number of property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft). To level the playing field, we calculated the rate of crimes per 1,000 people in each city. This makes it easier to directly compare the likelihood of these crimes occurring in cities with vastly different populations.
Learn more about how we rank our Safest Cities reports.
How to Make a Safe Home Anywhere
Wherever you live, feeling safe in your home can bring greater peace of mind and happiness. Whether your city made our list or not, we recommend adding extra security to your home with monitored security services provided by the nation’s leading home security providers.
To learn more about the home security options available to you, check out SafeWise’s picks for 
Best Home Security Systems of 2018.
If you would like to contact a SafeWise Safest Cities Analyst, please email info@safewise.com.
Written by Tamarra Kemsley
Tamarra graduated with a BA in communications in 2012 and with an MA in Islam and the Middle East from Jerusalem's Hebrew University in 2015. You can follow her on Twitter @tamarranicole. Learn more