Housing decision brief
Albany County, WY Housing Market
Albany County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
17th lowest home value out of 23 Wyoming counties with data | 15th lowest rent out of 23
Median home value
$322,100
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$936/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,279/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
5.4x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
32.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$343/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
No signal
No strong positive housing signal was available in the current dataset.
What to Check
Lower income base
$59,881 median income is 15% below Wyoming county median
Tax rate needs attention
0.57% effective property-tax rate is 1% above Wyoming county median
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Albany County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $322,100 | $260,400 | $281,900 | 24% pressure24% above Wyoming county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $936 | $913 | $1,163 | Near state median3% above Wyoming county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,279 | $938 | $1,672 | 36% pressure36% above Wyoming county median |
Median household income | $59,881 | $70,855 | $74,755 | 15% pressure15% below Wyoming county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.57% | 0.57% | 1.02% | Near state median1% above Wyoming county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 32.00% | 25.00% | N/A | 28% pressure32.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$22,441
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$5,067
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Albany County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $936/month , about 18.8% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
Renters in Albany County pay $936/month on average, compared to $1,279/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 27%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $37,440/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $54,814/year. With a median household income of $59,881, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 32.0% of renter households in Albany County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Wyoming, Albany County is more affordable than Uinta County by roughly 6% ($936/mo vs $882/mo).
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheridan County, WY | $352,200 | $950/mo | Same-state comparison near $352,200 home value and $950/mo rent. |
| Johnson County, WY | $296,000 | $1,081/mo | Same-state comparison near $296,000 home value and $1,081/mo rent. |
| Park County, WY | $374,200 | $933/mo | Same-state comparison near $374,200 home value and $933/mo rent. |
| Crook County, WY | $276,800 | $881/mo | Same-state comparison near $276,800 home value and $881/mo rent. |
| Fremont County, WY | $252,700 | $858/mo | Same-state comparison near $252,700 home value and $858/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Albany County
Is Albany County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Albany County?
How much income do you need for housing in Albany County?
What should I double-check before moving to Albany County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.