Wyoming’s elderly population is well off financially compared to elderly populations in other states. Just 6.2% of the state’s 65 and older population lives in poverty, the third lowest rate compared with other states. Also, 4.3% of elderly Wyoming households rely on food stamps, the lowest such share in the country. By contrast, 9.0% of Americans 65 and older receive SNAP benefits. Housing is also relatively affordable for elderly Wyoming residents. More than half of elderly American renters spend more than 30% of their incomes on housing costs. In Wyoming, just 40.2% of renters 65 and older spend such a high share, nearly the lowest proportion nationwide.On the other hand, the winters are both cold and long, the altitude is relatively high, and you have to drive an hour or three to do serious shopping (anything beyond groceries, hardware, liquor, and fuel). It also helps to be comfortable with conservatism as WY is one of the reddest states, your neighbors are all gun owners.
If, like Greta Garbo, you "vant to be alone," you can accomplish it in WY. Among the states and territories, WY has the second-lowest population density - only vast Alaska is lower. WY has less than 5 persons per square mile, which equals 128 acres per person. Compare that to CA's 191 persons per square mile - and 11 states are even more densely populated than CA.
