Laramie, WY Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Laramie, WY

What is Laramie's overall crime grade and how does it compare to other cities?

Laramie earns an overall crime grade of A-, placing it among the safer small cities in Wyoming and the broader Mountain West region. For a city of approximately 32,515 residents, achieving an A- grade reflects meaningfully lower crime rates than the national average across both violent and property crime categories. This grade accounts for Laramie's population density of 683 people per square mile and contextualizes crime frequency against comparable university towns. While no city is entirely crime-free, an A- signals that the vast majority of Laramie residents go about daily life without encountering criminal incidents.

What types of crime are most common in Laramie?

Property crimes — including theft, vehicle break-ins, and burglary — represent the most frequently reported category of incidents in Laramie. This pattern is consistent with university-adjacent communities nationwide, where opportunistic theft tends to outpace violent crime. Violent offenses such as assault occur at notably lower rates and are not concentrated in any single corridor of the city. Substance-related offenses are also monitored closely by the Laramie Police Department, reflecting a challenge common to cities with a poverty rate of 23.9%. Importantly, the city's A- overall grade indicates that even its most common crime types occur at rates well below national benchmarks.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Laramie?

Areas situated near the University of Wyoming campus — including the South Laramie neighborhood — tend to benefit from consistent law enforcement presence and active community engagement, contributing to lower reported incident rates. The Ranchettes area and neighborhoods along the Laramie River corridor are frequently cited by residents as quieter, lower-traffic zones with strong neighborhood cohesion. While hyper-local block-by-block data shifts over time, the city's overall A- crime grade suggests that safety conditions are broadly favorable across most of Laramie's residential areas. Using the interactive crime map on this page, you can filter by incident type and time period to identify current patterns in specific zones.

Is Laramie a safe place to live given its 23.9% poverty rate?

Laramie's poverty rate of 23.9% is higher than the national average, driven in part by the large student population at the University of Wyoming — a demographic that statistically suppresses household income figures without necessarily correlating to higher violent crime. The city's median household income of $47,463 and median home value of $219,605 reflect an affordable cost of living rather than concentrated economic distress. The unemployment rate of 4.3% indicates a reasonably stable labor market. Crucially, the A- overall crime grade demonstrates that elevated poverty figures have not translated into elevated crime rates — a distinction that makes Laramie stand out positively among similarly sized cities with comparable economic profiles.

How does Laramie's population density affect crime patterns?

At 683 residents per square mile, Laramie is a low-density city by national standards, which generally correlates with fewer anonymity-driven opportunistic crimes. Lower density means residents are more likely to recognize neighbors, notice unusual activity, and report concerns — factors that research consistently links to lower property crime rates. This dynamic likely contributes to Laramie's A- crime grade. Areas with slightly higher foot traffic, such as downtown Laramie and blocks immediately surrounding the University of Wyoming campus, naturally see a greater share of reported incidents simply due to higher activity levels, but these remain manageable within the city's overall safety profile.

What should renters and new residents know about crime in Laramie?

With a median rent of $824 per month, Laramie is an accessible rental market, and its A- crime grade means renters can feel relatively confident about safety across most of the city. New residents should still take standard precautions: securing vehicles overnight, using exterior lighting, and familiarizing themselves with the neighborhood watch programs active in areas like South Laramie and the Ranchettes. Consulting the crime map on this page before signing a lease is a practical step — filtering incidents by the past 90 days in your target neighborhood gives a data-informed picture of local conditions. The Laramie Police Department also publishes periodic crime statistics that complement the map's real-time incident data.