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Quality of Life in Crook County
A livable area that tracks near national norms for affordability, walkability, and neighborhood health.
What does Quality of Life tell us?
Quality of Life measures an area by evaluating factors like cost of living, nearby amenities, country club access, airport proximity, socioeconomic signals and neighborhood character. For large states, this is a general average — quality of life can vary dramatically between metro areas, suburbs, and rural communities within the same state.
What does this tell us?
Quality of Life measures an area by evaluating factors like cost of living, nearby amenities, country club access, airport proximity, socioeconomic signals and neighborhood character. For large states, this is a general average — quality of life can vary dramatically between metro areas, suburbs, and rural communities within the same state.
Cost of Living
15% below national average
90%
The Real Cost of Living in Crook County for 2026
| Tier | Individual | Family (4) |
|---|---|---|
| Survival | $14k | $26k |
| Comfortable | $54k | $79k |
| Luxury | $97k+ | $150k+ |
| Elite (Top 5%) | $114k+ | $177k+ |
Quality-of-Life Analysis
Crook County, Wyoming, offers a spectrum of quality-of-life options that range from the modest conveniences of its largest town, Sundance, to the complete solitude of its remote ranching communities. With a cost of living index of 85 (15% below the national average) and a median home value of $276,800, the county attracts a mix of outdoor recreationists, remote workers seeking affordable land, and multi-generational ranching families. The character of daily life shifts dramatically depending on whether you live in the county seat, a tiny crossroads settlement, or on a sprawling ranch in the Bear Lodge Mountains.
Largest town(s) & population centers
Sundance, the county seat and largest town with roughly 1,200 residents, serves as the commercial and social hub of Crook County. Daily life here centers around the historic Main Street, which houses the county courthouse, a grocery store, a pharmacy, and a handful of locally-owned cafes and shops. The town is named for the Sun Dance ceremony once held by the Lakota people, and the nearby Crook County Museum provides a cultural anchor. Commuting patterns reflect the town's role as a bedroom community for jobs in Gillette (about 45 minutes west) and Spearfish, South Dakota (about 30 minutes east). The average commute across the county is 23.5 minutes, but Sundance residents often face a longer drive to reach regional employment centers. The town has a K-12 school system, a small medical clinic, and a public library, making it the most amenity-rich option in the county. Hulett, with about 400 residents, is the second-largest population center, located closer to the Black Hills and the Devils Tower National Monument. Life in Hulett is quieter and more tourism-oriented, with a handful of motels and restaurants serving visitors to the monument.
Smaller towns & rural pockets
Beyond Sundance and Hulett, Crook County is defined by its unincorporated communities and wide-open spaces. Alva, a tiny crossroads settlement near the Montana border, consists of a post office, a few homes, and little else — residents here drive 30+ minutes to Sundance for groceries. Moorcroft, technically in the southeastern corner of the county, is a small town of about 1,000 that functions more as a satellite of Gillette than of Sundance, with its own school and basic services. Beulah, straddling the South Dakota line, is a cluster of homes and a general store that serves as a gateway to the Black Hills National Forest. The most remote pockets are the Bear Lodge Mountains and the Keyhole State Park area, where scattered ranches and vacation cabins sit on large parcels of land with no municipal services. These areas attract people seeking total privacy, off-grid living, or recreational property for hunting and snowmobiling.
Cost & lifestyle range
The cost of living in Crook County is uniformly low compared to national averages, but the trade-offs between town and rural living are significant. In Sundance, the median rent of $881 gets a two-bedroom apartment or small house within walking distance of downtown, while the median home value of $276,800 buys a well-maintained three-bedroom home on a standard lot. In Hulett, home prices are slightly lower, often in the $200,000–$250,000 range for a similar home, but with fewer employment options and no full-service grocery store. At the rural extreme, a 40-acre parcel with a manufactured home in the Bear Lodge Mountains can be found for under $200,000, but buyers must budget for a well, septic system, and a long gravel-road commute. The lifestyle range is stark: Sundance offers sidewalks, a library, and a community pool, while rural Alva or Beulah offers starry skies, silence, and a 45-minute drive to the nearest hospital. Property taxes in Crook County are among the lowest in Wyoming, typically 0.5%–0.7% of assessed value, which keeps carrying costs low for landowners.
The people who thrive in Crook County are those who value space, self-reliance, and a slower pace over urban convenience. Remote workers with stable internet (available in Sundance and Hulett, spotty elsewhere) can take advantage of the low housing costs, while ranchers and outdoor enthusiasts appreciate the county's proximity to the Black Hills, Devils Tower, and the Keyhole Reservoir. Families who want a school within walking distance and a community pool will gravitate toward Sundance, while those seeking a weekend cabin or off-grid homestead will find their niche in the county's vast rural expanse. Crook County is not for everyone, but for the right person, it offers a quality of life that is both affordable and deeply connected to the land.
Crime in Crook County
Generally safer than 71% of comparable U.S. locations.
Violent CrimeViolent Crime Analysis
Property CrimeProperty Crime Analysis
Crime Analysis
Crook County, Wyoming, is a predominantly rural area in the northeastern corner of the state where crime rates are mixed compared to national averages. The county’s violent crime rate of 172.9 incidents per 100,000 residents is notably lower than the U.S. average of roughly 380 per 100,000, but its property crime rate of 1,014.9 per 100,000 is significantly higher than the national figure of around 1,954 per 100,000. This means residents face a lower likelihood of violent offenses but a moderately elevated risk of theft and property-related crimes, particularly in the county’s more populated areas like Sundance and Hulett.
Crime in context
When compared to Wyoming’s statewide averages, Crook County’s violent crime rate is slightly above the state’s 2023 figure of approximately 240 per 100,000, while its property crime rate is well below the state’s average of roughly 1,800 per 100,000. The county’s low violent crime numbers align with its small population (about 7,200 residents) and lack of major urban centers. However, property crime—especially theft from vehicles and outbuildings—is a persistent issue, driven by the county’s remote geography and limited law enforcement coverage. The county seat, Sundance, and the town of Moorcroft see the bulk of reported incidents, while smaller communities like Aladdin and Beulah experience far fewer problems. The 6th Judicial District, which covers Crook County, has a reputation for conservative sentencing, which may help keep violent crime in check but does not fully deter opportunistic property offenses.
What residents experience
For those living in Crook County, daily safety concerns are less about violent confrontations and more about securing personal property. Theft from vehicles, burglary of seasonal cabins, and occasional livestock theft are common complaints, particularly in unincorporated areas where response times can exceed 30 minutes. The county’s sheriff’s office, based in Sundance, covers over 2,800 square miles with a small staff, meaning proactive patrols are limited. Residents in Hulett and Pine Haven often report feeling safe walking at night, but they also note that unlocked cars and sheds are frequent targets. The county’s proximity to Interstate 90, which runs through Moorcroft, contributes to transient crime, as travelers and truckers sometimes stop and commit thefts before moving on. In contrast, the town of Upton, near the Weston County line, benefits from a tight-knit community watch and sees fewer incidents overall.
Neighborhood-level variation
Neighborhood safety in Crook County varies more by location than by block. Sundance, the largest town with about 1,200 residents, has a slightly higher property crime rate due to its commercial district and tourist traffic to the nearby Devils Tower National Monument. Moorcroft, a smaller town of roughly 1,000, sees similar issues tied to its I-90 interchange. Safer pockets include the rural subdivisions around Aladdin and the Bear Lodge Mountains, where homes are spaced far apart and neighbors watch out for one another. The county’s lack of a large, progressive urban center means that the justice system—led by District Attorney Alex H. S. —tends to prioritize victim rights and public safety over leniency for offenders. This conservative judicial philosophy, combined with low population density, keeps violent crime rare, but residents should still take standard precautions like locking vehicles and installing outdoor lighting, especially in areas near major highways.
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area. Last updated: 2026-08-20T04:23:13.000Z
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