Ranchester’s story
Ranchester in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →RanchesterWY
A town of 1,277. Public schools that outperform most of Wyoming.
Population
1,277
+24.4% since 2010
Typical home
$412K
−1.7% in a year
Household income
$69K
median
Median age
36.2
years
Jobs based here
324
Balanced
What makes Ranchester stand out
The 2 things Ranchester does most differently from other towns.
Small town
1,277 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Ranchester’s report card
Now in Ranchester
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Residents weigh in
Live in Ranchester? Is an A for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Ranchester’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Ranchester. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Ranchester’s public schools outperform 94% of Wyoming districts
The public schools Ranchester’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 94% of Wyoming’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
ASchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tongue River Elementary | K–5 | 255 | A− |
| Slack Elementary | K–5 | 29 | D |
| Tongue River Middle School | 6–8 | 152 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WY on state tests and graduationAll 3 schools →
Natural hazards
Very high risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 90% of U.S. communities.
90risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireCold waves
6
paid flood claims since 1978
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Health
Healthier than 82% of U.S. towns
Ranchester beats the Wyoming average on 6 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
A−Health Grade
26 measures vs. Wyoming
6 better20 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Ranchester | WY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.1% | 12.8% |
| Fewer adults who get no exercise | 20.8% | 25.6% |
Sheridan Memorial Hospital
11.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
85th
percentile among WY towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Climate
Snowy winters, hot summers
Ranchester has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 68 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
68″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter11–37°
Spring30–58°
Summer51–84°
Fall31–61°
Sep 18
typical first frost
May 24
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Ranchester
Most working residents leave Ranchester for work: only 5% work in town. The top destinations are Sheridan (55%), Gillette (3%) and Cheyenne (3%). Half commute less than 13 miles.
5%work in town
Where working residents work
In Ranchester5%
Sheridan55%
Gillette3%
Cheyenne3%
Dayton2%
13 mi
median commute distance
324
jobs based in Ranchester
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Housing
A typical Ranchester home is worth about $412K
The typical Ranchester home is worth about $412,000, down 1.7% in a year, 11% above the Wyoming typical home.
$412KZillow home value
Typical home value
Ranchester$412K
Wyoming$372K
−1.7%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
3.1% of Ranchester is conserved land
0.0 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.
3.1%conserved
3.1%
conserved · 14 of 450 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Connor Battlefield State Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
About Ranchester
Town in Wyoming, United States
Ranchester is a town in Sheridan County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,064 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 1,064
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,763 ft
- ZIP code
- 82839
- Area code
- 307