Wyoming is renowned for its breathtaking natural scenery, large open areas, and low population. Still, not every area of our lovely state provides the same degree of peace and safety. This article explores which Wyoming city, based on the most recent FBI crime data, has been unjustly named the most dangerous place to live.
Riverton: Wyoming’s Most Dangerous City
As it did the year before, Riverton continues to have the unpleasant distinction of being Wyoming’s most hazardous city. This image is linked to an increase in property and violent crimes. Although Riverton did not rank first in Wyoming for violent crime in 2023, it did rank second for both homicide and sexual assault rates.
Riverton had a violent crime rate of 6.52 occurrences per 1,000 residents and a property crime rate of 33.15 incidents per 1,000 residents in 2023, according to FBI crime data. This meant that Riverton citizens had a risk of experiencing violent crime that was almost three times greater than the state average and more than 50% higher than the national average. Furthermore, Riverton has double the average crime rate per square mile in Wyoming.
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10,587 people live in Riverton, a community in Fremont County where four rivers converge. It was named after its geographic location when it was formed in 1906. The population of the city is diversified and includes a sizable Native American community. Nonetheless, it has a number of social and economic difficulties, including racial conflicts, substance misuse, unemployment, and poverty.
Other Unsafe Wyoming Cities
Not many Wyoming cities are as troubled by high crime rates as Riverton. Several more cities made the list of Wyoming’s top 10 most dangerous cities for 2023:
1. Cheyenne: The largest city in Wyoming and the state capital, Cheyenne reported 3.09 violent and 37.11 property crime incidences per 1,000 population, respectively. Some parts of Cheyenne, such as the historic district and the south side of town, are riskier than others, especially at night.
2. Evanston: With a violent crime rate of 3.89 occurrences per 1,000 residents and a property crime rate of 22.18 incidents per 1,000 residents, Evanston is a town in southwest Wyoming that borders Utah. Given its small population, Evanston’s high robbery rate was an especially noticeable problem, with a higher crime rate per square mile than the national average.
3. Casper: With 2.83 violent crime events per 1,000 residents and 32.67 property crime episodes per 1,000 residents, Casper is the second-largest city in Wyoming. Casper nicknamed the “Oil City” because of its past oil boom and bust cycles, faces a significant methamphetamine use and trafficking issue.
4. Powell: This little town in Park County, next to Yellowstone National Park, has a violent crime rate of 3.06 incidents per 1,000 people and a property crime rate. Powell had Wyoming’s highest murder rate in 2023.
Read More: This City in California Has Been Named the Most Miserable in the State
In Summary
Although Wyoming is generally regarded as a safe state with lower rates of violent crime than many other states, several of its neighboring cities have higher rates of crime and violence. In 2020, Riverton emerged as the most hazardous city in Wyoming, with Cheyenne, Evanston, Casper, Powell, and Laramie following closely behind. It is important for both visitors and prospective inhabitants to be aware of these facts and to use caution when traveling through or living in these places. They might also investigate the safest areas in Wyoming, like Afton, Kemmerer, Lyman, Pinedale, and Torrington.