Where Do People ACTUALLY Go If They Leave Wyoming?

Added: 2026-05-30

[00:00:00]Let me tell you something that nobody talks about. People actually leave Wyoming. There, I said it. No mass exodus, not some crisis, but yes, people pack up and go. Our team helps hundreds of people buy and sell homes every single year in this state. After being in real estate for over 20 years, I've watched it happen with my own two eyes.

[00:00:16]I know exactly who leaves, why they leave, and this is the interesting part, where they go. Because the data on where Wyoming people land tells you a lot about what's missing for them here. And some of it is actually kind of funny.

[00:00:29]I'm Alicia Collins with the Alicia Collins Real Estate Team, your real estate bestie right here in Casper, Wyoming. I've lived in Wyoming for over 45 years, raised my kids here, built my business here, and I've helped hundreds of families every single year move in, move out, and move around our incredible community. Let's get into it. Before I give you the destinations, you need to understand the scale we're talking about. Because Wyoming migration is genuinely unlike any other state.

[00:00:50]According to IRS data >> [music] >> reported by a local newspaper, Wyoming's total annual migration has been about 26,000 people a year, which represents about 4.6% of the state's population. By comparison, roughly 2.3% of the US population moved across state lines in the same period. Wyoming moves people at twice the national rate in percentage of [music] the state. For a state this small, that is a remarkable amount of turnover. People are constantly cycling in and out of Wyoming. But here's the part that should make anyone watching this feel really good about staying.

[00:01:22]>> [music] >> The average income of people arriving in Wyoming was about $138,789.

[00:01:28]Compared to the $72,065 for people who are leaving. So let me translate that for you. The people coming in are typically more established and more intentional about the move. The people leaving are more likely to be chasing opportunities elsewhere. Wyoming is filtering people. It's attracting the ones who are ready for this lifestyle and releasing the ones who aren't. And I don't say that with judgment. it because the data is really clear about what's happening here. Now, where are those people going? Let's talk Talk it. Number one, Colorado, the obvious one. In 2022, just under 5,000 people from Wyoming moved to Colorado, making Colorado the single biggest destination for Wyoming leavers by a mile, accounting for [music] nearly 17% of all Wyoming outbound moves. And honestly, Colorado makes complete sense. Colorado is Wyoming's most natural trading partner.

[00:02:15]We have the highest population exchange with Colorado of any state. People flow back and forth constantly. Some come here from Colorado because Colorado has gotten too big and busy. Some leave Wyoming for Colorado because they want more amenities, more career options, a bigger city feel, while still keeping the mountains. Here's what I find interesting about this one, though.

[00:02:33]Colorado, right now, is dealing with all the growing pains that Wyoming doesn't have yet.

[00:02:38]>> [music] >> Denver's expensive, the trails are packed, the cost of living has been climbing for years, and some of the people who moved from Wyoming to Colorado are probably watching housing prices go up and quietly reconsidering.

[00:02:50]I have had more than a few clients call me after living in Denver for a few years saying, and I quote, "I made a mistake. Colorado gets people. Wyoming gets them back." It's almost a rite of passage at this point. Number two, Idaho, the Wyoming, but trendier, move.

[00:03:04]876 people from Wyoming moved to Idaho in 2022. And according to Wyoming state migration data, Idaho led Wyoming's net out-migration, meaning more people switched from Wyoming to Idaho than in the other direction. Boise, especially, has become one of the hottest relocation destinations in the entire country. More amenities than Wyoming, a growing tech scene, a little more urban energy, while still having outdoor access and a western vibe. The people moving from Wyoming to Idaho are often younger. They want the mountain west lifestyle, but they also want a Whole Foods and a decent job market. Idaho is giving them that, for now. I do have to point out the irony here, though. Boise's median home prices jumped 75% in just a few years because of all the people moving there. So, the affordability that drew people is now being eroded by the volume of people who showed up for the affordability. Classic. Wyoming has had some of that, but not [music] as drastic. If you're starting to glance around in homes here in Wyoming, make sure you're using the most accurate website possible. Make WyomingHome.com.

[00:04:01]It pulls directly from our local MLS and updates in real time, so you're not wasting time on outdated listings like you see on a lot of the national websites. If a home is available, you'll see it. If it's sold, it's gone. It's the easiest way to get a true, up-to-date feel for what's on the market here. The link's in the description box below. Number three, Montana, the scenic trade. Just over 1,000 people from Wyoming moved to Montana in 2022.

[00:04:24]Montana is the aspirational move for a certain type of Wyoming leaver. Usually, someone who wants more remoteness, more dramatic scenery, more of that big sky feel. Glacier, Flathead Lake, Bozeman.

[00:04:35][music] For some people, Wyoming just isn't dramatic enough visually, and I say that with love. And [music] Montana totally brings that. But here's the plot twist. Wyoming is having the exact same growing pains as Colorado and Idaho, just a few years behind. Bozeman is not affordable anymore. The crowds are showing up. The people who moved to Montana for the space and the quiet are now having conversations about whether they should move somewhere less discovered. See the pattern? Wyoming tends to be one step behind the trend, and that's actually a feature, not a bug. While everyone was flooding into Colorado, then Idaho, then Montana, Wyoming just kept being Wyoming. And the people who are here on purpose are here because they figured that out. Number four, Texas and Florida, the weather refugees. Texas and Florida are a warmer weather destination, and I say this with zero judgment. Wyoming [music] winters are not for everyone. I've said that on this channel more times than I can count. Some people genuinely love everything about Wyoming except [music] the weather and the cold and of course the wind. And because of that, warm wins with some people. Texas and Florida have been the top migration destinations in the entire country for several years running. North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee are constantly pulling the highest volume of people moving in from other states.

[00:05:47]Wyoming leavers heading south are following the same national trend as everyone else, chasing warmth, activity, and a beach-going lifestyle. And listen, if you're leaving Wyoming for the warmer weather, I totally get it. I'll help you sell your house, and I will not take it personally. You put in your Wyoming time. You've earned those flip-flops. I actually have an agent on my team that's based right outside of Tampa, Florida.

[00:06:06]So, if you're making the move from Wyoming to Florida or Florida to Wyoming, my team has got your back every step of the way. Number five, the ones going back to where they came from. This is one that doesn't show up neatly in the data, but I see this constantly.

[00:06:20]Just over 900 people from Wyoming moved to New York in 2022. People going back to California, back to the Midwest, back to wherever they came from. These are the ones who tried Wyoming. They genuinely tried it and realized it wasn't the fit they hoped for. And I've talked about this before. Wyoming is not a state you stumble into and love by default. You have to choose it. And when people move here without fully understanding what they're trading, without considering the winters, the distances, the limited amenities, the isolation in certain areas, eventually, [music] the lifestyle wins and they go back.

[00:06:50]There's no shame in that. Not everyone belongs here, and Wyoming has never pretended otherwise. If you're listening to all this and thinking, "Okay, Wyoming might be my kind of place." then make sure you grab my free Wyoming relocation guide. I put it together after helping hundreds of families move here, and it's packed with everything you need to know, neighborhoods, weather, lifestyle, costs, what surprises people, and what most folks wish they knew before they got here. The link is in the description box below, and it's completely free.

[00:07:12]It's the best first step, even if you're just considering making Wyoming your next [music] home. Here's the thing I want to take you to take away from all of this, because it's not actually depressing. It's actually clarifying. In 2023, an estimated 22,957 people moved to Wyoming. Well, 22,872 moved out. A net gain of 82 residents.

[00:07:32]On the surface, it sounds like a lot of churn, and it is. But look at who is leaving versus who is staying. The data is clear. People chasing careers and opportunities are leaving, and [music] that makes total sense. Mid-career established people who come here intentionally are usually staying, building roots and buying homes. That is Wyoming doing exactly what Wyoming has always done. It filters. It keeps the ones who came ready and releases the ones who didn't. [music] Migration has been the biggest driver of Wyoming's recent growth, and the state has continued to experience positive net migration year after year, even as a nationwide migration wave has slowed down. This is not an accident. This is Wyoming being consistently attractive to the right [music] person, quietly, without needing to chase anyone. And then, there are the ones who come back.

[00:08:15]I saved the best part for last. I've had clients, multiple clients, call [music] me after years of leaving Wyoming to say that they want to come home. They tried Colorado and it got too expensive. They tried Boise and it got too crowded. They tried [music] going back to their home state and realized that what they'd been looking for, they already had. Wyoming gets into your head. I've seen it too many times to count. People leave Wyoming, and Wyoming lives in them rent-free until they figure out how to come back. And when they call me, I don't say I told you so. So, I just pull up the active listings and get to work.

[00:08:42]If you're currently in Wyoming and wondering whether to stay, or if you're watching this from somewhere else and wondering if Wyoming is worth the leap, [music] I want you to understand something. The people who leave aren't telling you Wyoming failed them. They're telling you Wyoming is specific. It is specific for the kind of person who wants a specific kind of life. And when that's you, genuinely, honestly you, Wyoming will keep you. It will reward you, and it will make it very hard to imagine living anywhere else. If you're ready to have a real conversation about buying or selling in Wyoming, reach out.

[00:09:08]My team and I are here for you. We have time for you. We love talking with all of you. We drop a new video every single Friday at 5:15 Mountain Standard Time.

[00:09:16]Subscribe, ring the bell. Remember, we want you to love where you live. See you soon.

[00:09:26]I look okay?

[00:09:27]>> Yeah.

[00:09:29]>> The data is going The d- Mhm.

[00:09:31]Never mind. Let me tell you something that nobody talks about.

[00:09:37]Let me tell you something that nobody talks about. I don't like that. Let me tell you something that nobody talks about. Cuz I watched it happen to Starting over. Let me tell you something that nobody talks about. People actually live by Let me tell you something that people don't Oh, come on.

[00:09:58]We good?

[00:09:59]Okay.

[00:10:00]>> Uh, we got one coming, but they got a stop sign.

[00:10:02]>> Okay. Here, let's just go cuz it's making me nervous. I'm going to get caught.

[00:10:05]>> Okay.

[00:10:05]We're good.

[00:10:06]>> were good. Okay. Can be it. What?

[00:10:09]>> [cough] >> Okay. Sorry. I thought you I thought there was going to be a step. I'm sorry.

[00:10:12]I don't want to say Rosie. I'll get killed in the comments. Nope, I'm not saying that either. [music] What the Please hold. Without pro Without putting without >> You got it.