Social Security Supports Wyoming Communities

A Passion for Issues that Matter to Americans 50-Plus is All You Need to Join Our Fight

Content starts here

AARP

Published March 20, 2026

CHEYENNE — More than 129,500 Wyoming residents, more than one in five people in the state receive Social Security, and those monthly checks add up to about $2.9 billion a year flowing into Wyoming communities, according to Social Security Administration data compiled by AARP.

Those dollars are spent locally on groceries, fuel, housing, health care, and other everyday needs helping keep small businesses open and local economies moving.

“AARP will never stop fighting to protect and strengthen the Social Security payments Wyoming workers earned,” said Tom Lacock, AARP Wyoming Associate State Director. “With prices rising on just about everything, these earned benefits are more important than ever for older residents and the communities they call home.”

Who Receives Social Security in Wyoming

Across the state, 129,654 people receive Social Security. Most are retired workers (102,608) who paid into the system throughout their working years. Nearly 12,000 Wyoming residents receive disability benefits, while 9,213 spouses and survivors and 6,342 children also receive support through the program.

On average, retired workers in Wyoming receive $24,282 a year ($2,024 a month). Workers receiving disability benefits receive an average of $18,913 a year.

For many older Wyomingites, Social Security is a cornerstone of financial security. Forty‑two percent of residents aged 65 and older rely on Social Security for at least half of their family income, and 18 percent depend on it for at least 90 percent of their income. That means 47,671 older residents depend on Social Security for most of their income, and 20,642 rely on it for nearly all of it.

A Local Economic Boost in Every County

Social Security benefits support local economies in every Wyoming county, helping sustain rural communities and small towns across the state.

Most Popular

Laramie County: 21,310 recipients; $476.7 million annually
Natrona County: 17,220 recipients; $397.1 million
Fremont County: 9,915 recipients; $213.4 million
Park County: 9,105 recipients; $206.7 million
Campbell County: 8,020 recipients; $195 million
Sheridan County: 8,525 recipients; $194.6 million
Sweetwater County: 8,050 recipients; $194.5 million
Albany County: 5,865 recipients; $135.9million
Big Horn County: 2,995 recipients; $63.2 million
Carbon County: 3,200 recipients; $71.2 million
Converse County: 3,105 recipients; $70.8 million
Crook County: 2,085 recipients; $48.0 million
Goshen County: 3,405 recipients; $71.3 million
Hot Springs County: 1,595 recipients; $34.5 million
Johnson County: 2,690 recipients; $59.7 million
Lincoln County: 4,695 recipients; $110.6 million
Niobrara County: 650 recipients; $13.5 million
Platte County: 2,555 recipients; $55.5 million
Sublette County: 2,090 recipients; $49.3 million
Teton County: 3,770 recipients; $106.9 million
Uinta County: 4,485 recipients; $104.6 million
Washakie County: 2,225 recipients; $49.2 million
Weston County: 2,010 recipients; $45.8 million

Looking Ahead

AARP notes that without action by Congress, Social Security is projected to have enough funds to pay about 80 percent of promised benefits starting in 2033. If that happens, average annual benefits for Wyoming retirees could drop to $19,425 ($1,619 a month), and $15,130 for disabled workers.

“In its 90‑year history, Social Security has never missed a payment,” Lacock said. “It has helped generations of Americans stay independent and avoid poverty. This is a problem that can be solved in a way that protects the benefits workers have already earned—without cuts.”

AARP opposes cutting cost‑of‑living adjustments, privatizing Social Security, or raising the retirement age, and continues to support responsible solutions that strengthen the program for today’s retirees and future generations.

For more information on Social Security in Wyoming and nationwide, click here.

- 30 -