Living in Upton, WY
Weston County
Upton is a real, current small town in Weston County, Wyoming, roughly 30 highway miles from Newcastle, the county seat. Upton's real, documented industrial history centers on bentonite mining, not coal -- the American Colloid Company operated a bentonite processing mill in town from 1928 until its 2002 closure, once employing as many as 80 workers. Today, ranching, oil, and continued smaller-scale bentonite mining remain Upton's real economic drivers. Upton's population runs approximately 861, a real, modest decline from 898 at the 2020 Census. Housing runs genuinely affordable (a $244,776 Zillow-cited average value across the 82730 ZIP code, well below nearby Gillette's $310,291 average), and crime runs genuinely low (a B safety grade, 81st-percentile safety ranking). Upton's senior (65+) population share (17.5%) runs modestly above the national comparison figure but genuinely below Wyoming's own statewide figure -- a real, disclosed mixed picture that leads this record to use the best-areas Tier B topic rather than retiring.
Explore Upton in depth
- Moving to Upton: Pros, Cons & What to Know
- Cost of Living in Upton
- Housing in Upton
- Taxes & Insurance in Upton
- Climate in Upton
- Schools & Families in Upton
- Healthcare & Safety in Upton
- Pros and Cons of Living in Upton
- Best Areas to Live in Upton
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Learn moreHousing
Taxes
Not independently sourced at the Weston County level this session. Wyoming carries no income tax statewide. See the Wyoming hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Upton-specific.
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Get local guidanceThe tradeoffs
Pros
Genuine housing affordability, with a $244,776 average value across the 82730 ZIP code running well below both Wyoming's own statewide figures and nearby Gillette's average. Genuinely favorable crime and safety ratings (a B grade, 81st-percentile safety ranking). Wyoming's real, current statewide tax advantages (no state income tax, a genuinely low baseline 5.0% combined sales tax rate) apply directly. A full K-12 school pathway located directly in town under Weston County School District #7.
Cons
A real, modest, disclosed population decline (-4.1% since the 2020 Census). Hospital-level healthcare requires traveling roughly 30 miles to Newcastle -- Upton's own in-town clinic covers primary and walk-in care only. Weston County's effective property tax rate (0.68%) runs somewhat above both Wyoming's own statewide anchor and the neighboring Crook County rate this project's sundance.js/moorcroft.js records cite. A real, disclosed research gap on Upton-specific climate, town-level (as opposed to ZIP-level) housing, and homeowners-insurance figures.
Who this fits
Best for: Best fits cost-conscious, small-town-focused movers and first-time homebuyers drawn to genuine housing affordability, a full in-town K-12 school pathway, and low crime, who are comfortable traveling to Newcastle for hospital-level healthcare.
Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers who need hospital-level or emergency healthcare access directly in town, or a large, diversified local job market -- Upton's real, small-town scale and its reliance on nearby Newcastle for hospital-level care are defining, not incidental.
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