Cheyenne's cost-of-living is roughly 13% below the national average, and the median home price is $150,000.  All kinds of homes are available, from little box houses to custom homes to town homes and condominiums.     Apartments are in good supply with rents averaging $650 per month.   Cheyenne has its upscale neighborhoods, but most areas are middle class, with a few poorer sections.  Warren Air Force Base is located here, and that helps steady the economy.  When it comes to property taxes, a house is assessed at 9.5% of its fair market value, and the mill rate is 127.  On a $150,000 home, the annual tax would be $1,810.  Veterans receive an exemption ($700 to $800), as do those age 65+ and those who are disabled.  Overall, Wyoming does not tax much (there is no personal income tax, and retirement income is not taxed) and has one of the lowest overall tax burdens in the country.

Retirees in search of a sophisticated locale with lots of nightlife and hustle and bustle will probably not be happy in Cheyenne.  This quiet, low-stress city instead appeals to those searching for a place where neighbors know each other and where the simple pleasures of life are enjoyed at a leisurely pace.   The population is a bit older than the national average, and men (and women) in cowboy hats and cowboy boots are not uncommon.   This is, after all, the authentic American West, and Cheyenne is the real deal.  There is nothing phony or manufactured about this city, and the independence that is characteristic of the West is deeply ingrained here.  

Although it is not the most cosmopolitan spot, Cheyenne has just about all a resident needs.  Nearly everything is infused with an Old West flavor, but the city has a botanic gardens, a library, several museums, a melodrama dinner theater, a farmers' market, a community college, movie theaters, golf courses, broadband internet service, a country club, churches, malls and box stores and parks.  Dining is not world class, but there is a good selection of restaurants and some upscale eateries.  Of course, what Cheyenne is perhaps known best for is its Frontier Days, a 10-day July celebration of all things western.  Dating from 1897, this extravaganza attracts people from all over the West and features rodeos, top country and western acts, carnivals, chuckwagon cookoffs, a USFA Thunderbirds show and parades.

This is an interactive map.  Click on the arrows in the upper left hand corner to move the map to the East, West, North or South, and click (more than once if necessary) on the +/- signs to zoom in and out.

Wyoming is the least populated state in the country, and it is very easy to believe that when standing on the outskirts of Cheyenne because prairie stretches as far as the eye can see.   The city sits at the intersection of I-25 and I-80, so although it is a bit isolated, it is accessible (and there is an airport).   Going south, Fort Collins, Colorado is roughly 45 minutes away, and Denver, Colorado is just a bit beyond that.  Going north, east or west will lead to long stretches of lonesome country (and few gas stations, spotty cell phone service and the occasional antelope).

This is a safe city, with a crime rate below the national average, and it is a tidy city.  Traffic is not a problem, and the air is clean.   Wyoming Senior Citizens serves the needs of older Wyomingites, and although is based in Riverton, offers programs in Cheyenne.  The Cheyenne Community Center (308-254-7000) also has activities for the mature set, including fitness classes, trips, potlucks and get-togethers.  The Cheyenne Transit System provides public transportation ($1 donation for those age 60+), and there is a trolley system, too.  

The primary health care facility is Cheyenne Regional Medical Center.  The staff has 175 physicians with specialties in cardiovascular, neurology, internal medicine, oncology, rheumatology and many others.  The hospital also offers home health care, and in 2007 was ranked in the top 25% of home health agencies in the United States.

Cheyenne, of course, has its drawbacks.  As mentioned earlier, it is a tidy city with clean air, and the reason for that is the wind.  Debris and air pollution do not stick around for long because out in the open on the high plains at 6,065 feet, the wind is nearly constant.  Some people do not mind it, but in pioneer days, it was known to drive settlers mad.  Some call the wind "Maria."  Others call it things we cannot print here.  When snow mingles with the wind, and it does, winter weather can be a little rough, and it is not a good idea to get caught outside of town in a blizzard.  Winter temperatures are in the 20s and 30s, and summer temperatures are in the 80s.  The humidity is very, very low.