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Sublette County, WY

Rent vs Own in Sublette County, Wyoming

Buying the median Sublette County home costs roughly $2,151/mo against a $995/mo HUD rent, ownership runs well above the rent benchmark here, so the page focuses on why the stack is so heavy. Owner-occupied homes: 3,086.

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Renting is cheaper in Sublette County

Ownership works out near $2,151/mo while a comparable 2-bedroom rents for $995/mo - a wide monthly miss for buyers. That is a $1,156/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Sublette County

Primary driver

Ownership sits far above the rent benchmark

The $376,200 median home in Sublette County carries $1,665/yr in tax at 0.44%. Against HUD's $995/mo 2-bedroom rent, the ownership stack (~$2,151/mo) is a wide miss - roughly $1,156/mo. Here the useful question is which line item (price, tax, or insurance) dominates the overage, not whether a small assumption change closes it.

Decision signal 2

The tax rate is a national tailwind

Sublette County's 0.44% effective rate is among the lowest of 3,135 tracked counties: roughly 90% pay a higher rate. That low tax line is one reason owning can compete here.

Decision signal 3

Renting compares well inside the state

Using the assumptions above, Sublette County ranks 20 of 23 Wyoming counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 3 other Wyoming counties on this measure.

Decision signal 4

Price and income sit in the middle band

Median household income is $83,597, for a 4.5x home-price-to-income ratio in the middle of the national distribution; property tax takes 2.0% of that income. Small changes in down payment or rate move this county across the rent-vs-own line more than they would in a high-ratio market.

Decision signal 5

HUD moved the rent benchmark down

HUD cut its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Sublette County from $1,009/mo in FY2025 to $995/mo in FY2026: it decreased by $14/mo (-1.4%). A falling benchmark narrows the case for buying here, and it usually reflects HUD re-estimating the local market rather than existing rents being cut.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$2,151
Mortgage (P&I) $1,902
Property Tax $139
Insurance (est.) $110
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$995
Studio$759
1-Bedroom$764
2-Bedroom$995
3-Bedroom$1,384
4-Bedroom$1,643

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$83,597
$6,966/mo
Home Price / Income
4.5x
Moderate (3-5x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
2.0%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

Most Sublette County households that own outright land between $800 and $1,499 a year, at the national middle, so the tax neither argues for renting nor against it and the decision turns on price and mobility instead.

Unusually for Sublette County, returns above $200,000 form the single largest block claiming it, a concentration only a minority of US counties show and a marker of high property values.

When the ownership stack already sits far above HUD rent, that annual bill is less a tie-breaker and more confirmation that holding costs stay material long after the loan is gone.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Laramie County
Home: $348,700 Tax: $1,980/yr
Natrona County
Home: $273,000 Tax: $1,645/yr
Campbell County
Home: $279,100 Tax: $1,599/yr
Sweetwater County
Home: $251,400 Tax: $1,542/yr
Fremont County
Home: $268,800 Tax: $1,671/yr
Park County
Home: $400,500 Tax: $2,262/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Sublette County, Wyoming? ▼
Owning the median Sublette County home is a wide miss versus HUD's 2-bedroom rent (about $1,156/mo more) on the standard stack. Treat this as a tenure/equity decision first; the cash-flow comparison alone will not favour buying here.
What is the average rent in Sublette County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $995/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $884/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
How does Sublette County compare to other Wyoming counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 23 Wyoming counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Sublette County lands at spot 20, putting it in the more rent-favorable quarter of the state. The <a href="/states/wyoming">Wyoming state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.
How much house can you afford in Sublette County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $83,597 household here can afford up to $250,791 -- about $125,409 short of this county's $376,200 median home. That gap is typically closed with a larger down payment, dual incomes, or a longer search outside the median price band.
What is the median home price in Sublette County? ▼
$376,200, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. What stands out more than the price itself is the tax load on it: this county's 0.44% effective rate sits near the low end of the 3,135 counties tracked here.
Is rent going up or down in Sublette County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has fallen 1.4% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

Verify with HUD →