Six Months of Growth: What Cheyenne's Latest Economic Numbers Show

Every month, the state quietly publishes a report that tells you exactly how Cheyenne's local economy is performing. Most business owners never see it.

That's why we're breaking it down for you.

The Wyoming Economic Analysis Division just released its May 2026 Cheyenne Economic Indicators report — a data-driven snapshot of where Laramie County's economy actually stands right now. If you're making decisions about hiring, pricing, expansion, or investment, this is the kind of context that should be informing those decisions.

The Headline Number

The Cheyenne Economic Health Index came in at 108.8 for March 2026, up from 108.5 in March 2025. That marks the sixth consecutive month the index has risen year-over-year.

The index tracks four components of the local economy — employment rate, total jobs, sales tax collections, and average home values — and combines them into a single number. It was set to 100 in January 2011, so a reading of 108.8 means Cheyenne's economy is running meaningfully above that baseline and has been trending upward for half a year straight.

For a business owner, that kind of sustained momentum matters. It means the customers walking through your door are operating in a generally healthy local economy — not a contracting one.

What People Are Actually Spending

The strongest signal in the March report came from sales and use tax collections. Laramie County collected $13.2 million — up $1 million, or 8.4%, compared to the same month last year. That figure actually reflects April spending activity due to a standard one-month lag in how collections are reported.

Translation: people in Laramie County are spending more. If your business depends on local consumer activity, that is directly relevant to your bottom line.

The Housing Market

Laramie County's average home value reached $391,150 in March, up 3.5% from a year ago. Rising home values matter to businesses for a few reasons — they reflect continued demand for living here, they signal that residents feel financially stable enough to invest in property, and they tend to correlate with broader consumer confidence.

If you're in real estate, construction, home services, or any business that benefits from an active housing market, this number is your friend.

Jobs and Unemployment

Laramie County's unemployment rate sat at 3.7% in March — essentially full employment and nearly identical to the 3.6% recorded a year ago.

Total nonfarm payroll jobs came in at 49,100, down 700 positions or 1.4% year-over-year. This is the third consecutive year-over-year decline in employment and it is worth watching. If you are hiring, a tightening job count can mean a more competitive labor market even at low unemployment — fewer people actively switching jobs, and more competition for the ones who are.

Put It to Work

Numbers like these are tools. If business has felt slower than expected lately, context like this helps you figure out whether it is a you problem or a market problem. If spending is up 8.4% countywide but your revenue is flat, that is useful information. If you have been hesitating on a hiring decision or a capital investment, six straight months of index growth is relevant context.

The Chamber publishes this kind of reporting so our members have the same information that shapes investment decisions and economic development strategy — not just the headlines, but the actual data behind them.

The full report is published monthly by the Wyoming Economic Analysis Division and is available at ai.wyo.gov/divisions/economic-analysis.

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Wyoming Economic Analysis Division — Cheyenne MSA Economic Indicators, May 2026: https://ai.wyo.gov/divisions/economic-analysis/publications/economic-indicators