Wyoming, known as the Cowboy State, is home to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks as well as several state parks. Wyoming residents enjoy its tax-free, business-friendly environment, low cost of living and its wide open spaces to enjoy the great outdoors.
Wyoming has a semi-arid climate with winter temperatures ranging from 15 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit and summer temperatures from 55 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Expect about 56 inches of snow and 15.5 inches of rain per year.
Wyoming has more than 500,000 residents --- 94.8 percent white, 0.9 percent African American and 6.7 percent Hispanic. High school graduates embody 87.9 percent of the population and 21.9 percent hold college degrees. Average annual income per household is just above $43,000.
Wyoming tops the nation in mining, followed by tourism, agriculture and cattle ranching. The cost of living is about 2.68 percent lower than the national average.
Highway 25 runs from Montana to Colorado through its two largest cities, Cheyenne and Casper. Highway 80 connects east to west from Cheyenne to Evanston, crossing the Utah border and heading south to Salt Lake City.
Seventy percent of residents in Wyoming own their own homes, with an average price of $181,900 (as of September, 2010). Property tax rates rank 10th in the nation.
