Rural Tourism: Torrington’s Short-Term Rentals Take 97% Leap, Other Small Towns Spike Too

Torrington, a small town in eastern Wyoming, has seen a jaw-dropping 97% jump in short-term rental demand year over year, according to an analysis by AirDNA requested by Cowboy State Daily. Revenue from those bookings rose 115%. Even local leaders were stunned. “I was as surprised as anyone,” said Torrington Clerk Treasurer Lynette Strecker.

The sharpest rise in demand coincides with the annual open house for Sunrise, an abandoned mining town with a significant Paleo-Indian site that draws researchers from around the world. The summer rise begins June 12, just before Eastern Wyoming College’s new summer archaeology school opens, and doesn’t cool until the school ends in late July. “I know that the archaeology symposium brings in a lot of people,” said Go Goshen Community Development Director Leann Mattis. “Maybe those folks are looking for lodging outside of the normal stay.”

AirDNA Director of Economics and Forecasting Bram Gallagher noted that Torrington is a relatively small market, so tiny increases show up as big percentage gains. Still, he said a rise from 249 booked nights to 490 year over year is significant, especially with listings remaining flat. Mattis called the revenue increase “really interesting” and said the community could “do something with that.”

Tied for second with a 37% increase in demand are Powell and Rawlins. Gallagher said both cities reflect travelers seeking more affordable, less crowded “launch pads” for adventure. Rawlins has been actively reinventing its tourism by highlighting its unique crossroads: Union Pacific’s transcontinental railroad, the Lincoln Highway, the transcontinental airmail route, the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, and the Great Divide Mountain Bike and TransAmerica bicycle trails. “From a history standpoint, when everyone was heading west, it just all converged here,” said Pam Thayer of the Rawlins Downtown Development Authority. She likened it to the Four Corners Monument: “I had one foot on each, and so this is that same kind of feeling.”

Lander took fourth with a 35% rise, followed by Pinedale at 31%. Ten Sleep, Casper, and Cheyenne all posted 29% increases. Some communities lost ground: Buffalo dropped 22%, Gillette 26%, Riverton 38%, and Lusk 66%.

Overall, Wyoming’s short-term rental market is pacing about 19% ahead of last summer. The numbers suggest tourism is successfully branching out beyond Jackson, with towns leveraging local attractions to draw overnight stays—and overnight guests spend more than day-trippers. As Gallagher noted, the best stories often begin where the beaten path ends. Wyoming has plenty of that to go around.