A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $930 in Casper, WY versus $1,170 in Salem, OR. Overall, Casper, WY is roughly 21% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Salem, OR, driven mainly by rent.
Median household income is $69,171 in Casper, WY and $71,900 in Salem, OR — about 4% higher in Salem, OR. Wyoming has no state income tax and a 4% state sales tax; Oregon has a top state income tax rate of 9.90% and no state sales tax.
Rent
Buying a Home
Income
People & Lifestyle
Crime (per 100k/yr)
FBI Crime Data Explorer. Offenses per 100,000 residents per year; agency reporting practices vary, so this is approximate.
Climate
Gas
Area: Rocky Mountain (PADD 4) vs West Coast (PADD 5).
Utilities
Residential, state-level averages (EIA). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.
Groceries
Average prices — West vs West (BLS). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.
State Taxes
Casper vs Salem — FAQ
- Is it cheaper to live in Casper or Salem?
- Casper, WY is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $930 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 21% below Salem, OR's $1,170, mainly because of rent.
- How much more do you need to earn to live in Casper than in Salem?
- To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $31,000 a year in Casper versus $40,000 in Salem.
- Which has lower taxes, Casper or Salem?
- Casper is taxed under Wyoming's rules (no state income tax and a 4% state sales tax); Salem under Oregon's (a top state income tax rate of 9.90% and no state sales tax).
Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year (rent, income, home value, demographics); NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010 (climate); EIA weekly retail (gas); Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).