City profile · Wyoming · Census ACS 2023

Bear River, WY

Bear River's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

835
Residents
$118,185
Median income
$330,300
Median home
$1,044
Median rent (state)
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State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Bear River.

Place dossier plate

Sheet WY-BEAR-RIVER-WY · Bear River, WY 835 pop · income 86th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-TOP · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-TOP · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-MID · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 835
  • INC-TOP $118,185
  • COL-BELOW 92.7
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-TOP 86th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Ben Wheeler
  • HOME-MID $330,300
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Ben Wheeler, TX ( $11 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Bear River

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Bear River on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Bear River on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 835.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $118,185. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Bear River - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Bear River places in the 86th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

86th
percentile, household income
69th
percentile, home value
18th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Bear River, WY

Bear River is a small town in Wyoming, home to 835 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $118,185 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 1.6%. Home values in Bear River run a median of $330,300, and the median resident age is 35.4 years. About 30.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 61.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 0 residential units authorized here in 2024 (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier.

Living costs in Wyoming run below the national norm: the state registers 92.7 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,044 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Wyoming's average monthly utility costs around $180 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 37.9 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Bear River's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to population change to comparison shortlist to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Bear River, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, local building permits, commute-mode shares. No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in Bear River?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 86.1%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Compare commute patterns →

2. Population change

Is Bear River growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.

Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +4 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +0.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 0 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

See the national growth ranking →

Question 3

Which cities make useful reference points for Bear River?

Within Wyoming, the closest population matches are Hanna (839 residents, $56,962 income); Upton (845 residents, $68,173 income); Dubois (818 residents, $39,960 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Kachemak, AK (835 residents); Millville, CA (835 residents); Tuttletown, CA (835 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

Question 4

How far does income reach against housing in Bear River?

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 1.6%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

835 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$118,185 /yr

High income · poverty 1.6% (Low poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

92.7 (US=100)

Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Wyoming average

City profile score · Bear River, WY

78/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Poverty rate A
1.6%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Household income A
$118,185

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Cost of living B+
92.7 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Bachelor's+ share C
30.1%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Bear River profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Poverty rate, Household income, Cost of living, Bachelor's+ share. Poverty rateHousehold incomeCost of livingBachelor's+ share 78 B+
Bear River profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Poverty rate: 89/100 (A) · 1.6%
  • Household income: 85/100 (A) · $118,185
  • Cost of living: 75/100 (B+) · 92.7 index
  • Bachelor's+ share: 58/100 (C) · 30.1%

How does Bear River compare to other US cities?

Where Bear River sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 86% higher than other cities
Home value 69% pricier than other cities
Median rent 18% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Bear River against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Wyoming only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Wyoming-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Bear River near the bottom of Wyoming's cities

Among the 150 Wyoming cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Bear River ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Bear River only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#18 of 135
87th percentile in Wyoming
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 150
0th percentile in Wyoming
Median Home Value
#28 of 128
78th percentile in Wyoming
Poverty Rate
#98 of 149
34th percentile in Wyoming
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#41 of 150
71st percentile in Wyoming
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Wyoming only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

86thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

86th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Bear River's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$330,300 31st percentile more affordable than 31% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Bear River $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Bear River's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.8×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#5,557 of 15,516
More affordable than 64% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#4,828 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 2.8×, Bear River sits in the affordable band: national rank #5,557 of 15,516 and #4,828 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$118,185 Bear River, WY median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Bear River, WY Bear River, WY's median household income ($118,185) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Bear River, WY-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Bear River, WY median $118,185/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Bear River, WY median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Bear River, WY.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 30.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 1.6%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 61.3%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
835
Median Income
$118,185
Median Home Value
$330,300
Median Age
35.4
Poverty Rate
1.6%
Labor force participation
61.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
30.1%

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
515 residents520 residents525 residents530 residents535 residents 202020212022202320242025 520 residents 524 residents ▲ +0.8%
Bear River's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 520 residents
2021 525 residents
2022 526 residents
2023 530 residents
2024 525 residents
2025 524 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 1
2020 1
2021 1
2022 2
2023 0
2024 0

Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
86.1%
Carpool
5.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.4%
Work from Home
6.4%

Based on 374 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Wyoming statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $180

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Wyoming at $180 (electricity about $85 , water and sewer about $40 ).

These are Wyoming statewide averages, not a meter reading for Bear River. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Wyoming's BEA cost-of-living index is 92.7 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Bear River is $1,044/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Wyoming statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 37.9 / 100 (Very Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Wyoming statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Bear River sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Bear River compares to similar-size Wyoming cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Bear River (this city) 835 $118,185
Hanna 839 $56,962
Upton 845 $68,173
Dubois 818 $39,960
Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

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

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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