Patterns of Population Change in Wyoming, 1990-2000
by:  Craig Radden Henderson , One Stop Program Supervisor
map by: Valerie A. Davis, Economist

"As a whole, Wyoming experienced a statewide population growth rate between 1990 and 2000 of 8.9 percent. "

The Wyoming Division of Economic Analysis (WDEA) recently published population data for 2000, from which Research & Planning (R&P) compiled Figures 1 and 2.¹ Whether these figures are viewed independently or as a companion to WDEA’s tabular data, they have been scaled similarly and deliberately positioned side by side in this edition to offer readers a visual aid for comparing population in 2000 and population change between 1990 and 2000 for counties and selected incorporated places in Wyoming.² 

Not surprisingly, county data show that Laramie (81,607) and Natrona (66,533) counties, the state’s two Metropolitan Statistical Areas, continue to hold the largest populations in the state. Six other counties, Sweetwater (37,613), Fremont (35,804), Campbell (33,698), Albany (32,014), Sheridan (26,560), and Park (25,786), have sizeable populations by Wyoming standards. These eight most populous of Wyoming’s 23 counties account for approximately 69 percent of Wyoming’s total population (493,782). While the common perception is that Wyoming is a rural state, and definitions of “rural” are subject to debate, that 335,067 people (67.9% of all Wyomingites) live in cities and towns indicates otherwise.³ Contrary to the rural label, the majority of people live in communities rather than being spread out across the state’s open spaces.

As a whole, Wyoming experienced a statewide population growth rate between 1990 and 2000 of 8.9 percent. Figure 1 shows population growth in the state by county. Population change among counties varied, but most counties’ data contributed to a relatively flat pattern of change. Four counties, Carbon (-6.1%), Niobrara (-3.7%), Sweetwater (-3.1%), and Washakie (-1.2%), all declined in population during this period. Niobrara County, Wyoming’s least populated county, showed a population of only 2,407. In contrast, Teton County, with a population of 18,251 in 2000, showed growth of 63.3 percent, the highest of any Wyoming county. Teton County’s growth was nearly three times the growth of the second fastest growing county in the state, Sublette County (22.2%). In general, counties in northern Wyoming experienced higher rates of population growth over the past decade than those in the southern part of the state (see Map). This growth pattern seems to dispute an often made remark about development in Wyoming, namely that transportation is a barrier. Our analysis suggests that a higher percentage of population growth took place in the remote counties than along those on the I-80 corridor. Lincoln (15.4%), Johnson (15.1%), Campbell (14.7%), Sheridan (12.7%), Park (11.3%) and Crook (11.2%) counties all experienced increases above 10 percent. Laramie County offers an exception to the northern trend with 11.6 percent growth, reflecting, in part, its proximity to the much higher population change that occurred in the 1990s along the Front Range of Colorado. 

Data on population change for incorporated places (Figure 2) reflect a more variable pattern of population growth and decline than county data. Among cities with over 2,000 people, Jackson (with a population of 8,647) experienced a change in population of 93.4 percent. In sharp contrast, several communities experienced decreases in their populations, including Rawlins (-9.0%), Green River (-7.1%), Lander (-2.2%) and Rock Springs (-1.8%). 

A comparison of Figures 1 and 2 shows that, for the most part, population changes for cities and towns closely mirrored the growth patterns of their respective counties, although there were exceptions. For example, while Kemmerer showed a decrease in population (-12.2%, represented in Figure 2), Lincoln County (which Kemmerer serves as the county seat) experienced a positive growth rate of 15.4 percent (see Figure 1). Population from the U.S. Census Bureau for incorporated places with populations of less than 2,000 (those not selected for inclusion in Figure 2) reveal that Lincoln County’s growth was concentrated in the north, including Alpine (175.0%), Afton (30.4%) and other communities in the Star Valley. While Kemmerer’s population and economy may have historically been closely allied with industrial activity in counties along Interstate 80, several of North Lincoln County’s smaller communities in highly scenic areas form a commuting corridor into Teton County, with its faster growing economy and generally higher housing costs (see related article). 

Similarly, although Natrona County and Casper experienced moderate growth between 1990 and 2000 [8.7% (see Figure 1) and 6.2% (see Figure 2), respectively], Casper’s bedroom communities of Mills and Evansville grew at rates above 60 percent, comparable to Teton County. In Mills, high growth over the decade can be explained by the town’s annexation of the Mountain View/Evergreen Improvement District in 1997 and subsequent smaller annexations in 1999 and 2000.⁴ In Evansville, high rates of growth over the decade may be attributable to an undercount in the 1990 Census - a count that the town’s governing council contested in the early 1990s. Additionally, Evansville saw both a decline in trailer vacancy rates in the 1990s as Wyoming rebounded from the economic bust of the mid-1980s and increasing numbers of new units placed in trailer park communities in Evansville. It can be suggested that these new trailer units may represent a response to a shortage of low-income housing in the Casper area.⁵ 

As officially revised 2000 Census data and special Census population data are released by the Census Bureau, Research & Planning plans to incorporate the data into many types of demographic and labor market analyses which will be published in future editions of Wyoming Labor Force Trends, special publications, or otherwise made available to our customers through our website. 

¹ Wyoming Department of Administration and Information, Division of Economic Analysis, Wyoming State Data Center, “Population for Counties and Incorporated Places: 1990 and 2000,” WSDC Bulletin, June 2001, < http://eadiv.state.wy.us/wsdc/wsdc17.pdf >, (July 24, 2001), p. 2. 
² Incorporated places in Figure 2 include all Wyoming county seats and other cities and towns with populations exceeding 2,000. Tabular data on incorporated places with populations less than 2,000 are available from the source listed in note 1. 
³ U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Information Center, “Understanding Rural America,” < http://www.nalusda.gov/ric/resources/backgrnd/04rpop/pop.htm > (August 13, 2001). “For the first 140 years of the Nation’s existence, most Americans lived in open country and small towns. The 1920 Census was the first to record that urban people outnumbered those living in the open country and small towns. . . . But while there are some encouraging signs overall [for rural areas in the 1990s], there is still a wide range of conditions and trends across rural areas, with each area facing its own problems and opportunities.” Also, the U.S. Bureau of Census, “Urban and Rural Classification Census 2000 Urban and Rural Criteria,” August 3, 2001, <http://www.census.gov/geo/www/ua/ua 2k.html> (August 13, 2001) defines “‘rural’ [as consisting] of all territory, population, and housing units located outside of UAs [urban areas] and UCs [urban clusters]. It contains both place and nonplace territory. Geographic entities, such as census tracts, counties, metropolitan areas, and the area outside metropolitan areas, often contain both urban and rural territory, population, and housing units.”
⁴ Mills Town Clerk, phone request for information on annexation by Craig Henderson, July 24, 2001. 
⁵ Janelle Underwood, Evansville Town Clerk/Treasurer, phone interview conducted by Craig Henderson, July 24, 2001.

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