Wyoming

Wyoming by the Numbers:
Key Statistical Data and Facts

Key Details

• Wyoming is the least populous state in the US, with a population of 581,381 as of 2022.
• In 2023, 83.4% of the racial composition was white alone, and 1.2% were Black or African-American.
• Of those aged 25 years and above, 93.7% had a high school diploma or higher, while 28.5% had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
• The unemployment rate in February 2023 was 3.8%, slightly higher than the national average of 3.6%.
• The estimated median household income for Wyoming in 2021 is $68,002 -- an 8% increase from 2011-2021.

Wyoming Population Demographics

Bordered by Montana, Wyoming is one of the least populous states in the US. According to 2022 US population estimates, the Equality State is home to approximately 581,381 residents. Roughly one out of four residents (23%) were aged 18 years and under, while one out of six (18%) were made up of residents aged 65 years and over.

A further breakdown of the age demographic reveals that 6% of the population was five years or lower. The state had a nearly even gender split, with 48.8% female and 51.2% male.

Wyoming Housing

According to the US Census

274,371

Wyoming has housing units

$237,900

The median value for owner-occupied units during the period was

$1,536

While the average median monthly owner costs with a mortgage was

from $221 (mobile home lot) to $3500

Depending on the county and type of housing, the average monthly rates ranged

Between 2017 and 2021

2.44

Between 2017 and 2021, the state had an average of 2.44 persons per household.

71,7%

of housing units were owner-occupied

83.8%

the units had persons living in the house for over a year.

Wyoming Racial Demographics

In 2023, fewer than 30,000 residents (approximately 3.4% of the racial composition) were made up of foreign-born persons. Non-Hispanic white constituted the largest group, with over 83%.

Elections in Wyoming

In the past, Wyoming has chosen Republican or Democratic candidates for office. Since 1975, three of the state’s last six Governors have been Democrats. Gov. Edward Herschler (1975 to 1987), Gov Michael J. Sullivan (1987 to 1995) and Gov. Dav Freudenthal (2003 to 2011).

However, as of 2023, Wyoming has a Republican Trifecta. The state’s congressional delegation, state legislature, and governor's office are controlled by Republicans.

Republicans John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis were both elected to serve in the United States Senate in 2018 and 2021. Barrasso was first elected to the Senate in 2007, and Cynthia Lummis took office on January 3, 2021. Lummis became the first woman to represent the state as a legislator after winning in 2021.

Mark Gordon serves as the 33rd governor of Wyoming. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected into office in 2018 after defeating Democratic candidate Mary Throne. Gordon was again reelected in 2022, defeating Democratic candidate Theresa Livingston.

In presidential elections, Wyoming is considered to be a solidly Republican state. Out of the last 33 presidential elections, the state’s electoral votes have gone to 32 Republican candidates. Lyndon B. Johnson was the only Democratic candidate to have won in 1964.

2020 Presidential Election

During the 2020 presidential election, republican candidate Donald Trump won the state with 69.94% of the tallied votes (193,559 vs 73,491 votes). The Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, received 26.5% of the vote, while third-party candidates received the remaining 3.1%.

Donald Trump

Joe Biden

Wyoming Voting Statistics

According to the Wyoming Secretary of State Office, as of April 2023, Wyoming had 216,037 total registered voters. A breakdown of figures shows 177,751 voters registered as Republicans, 22,788 registered as Democrats, while other voters registered as Libertarian, unaffiliated, or other.

Voter Turnout

During the 2020 general elections, Wyoming recorded a 62.6% voter turnout, with 278,503 votes out of a possible 445,025. Voter turnout during the 2018, 2016, and 2014 elections was lower, recorded at 46.4%, 57.95 and 38.5%, respectivel.

Note: 2020's voter turnout marked Wyoming's largest turnout since the 2008 general elections, which recorded a 64.4% turnout rate.

General Election

How Educated in Wyoming

In 2022, 93.7% of residents aged 25 years or older had a high school diploma or higher. For residents aged 18 to 24 years, 37% were high school graduates, 10% had a bachelor’s degree or higher, and 42% had some college or associate’s degree. Overall, roughly one out of four (28.5%) residents had a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

Highest level of education attained.

Residents aged 35 to 44 years had the highest educational attainment, with 31.8% having a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Wyoming Employment Rate

According to data published by the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, Research & Planning for February 2023, Wyoming’s unemployment rate is 3.8%, slightly higher than the national average of 3.6%. Seasonal employment among residents increased by 0.4% (1,180), indicating a positive trend.

Between 2022 and 2023, the unemployment rate fell in five counties, Big Horn, Campbell, Converse, Natrona, and Weston but remained unchanged in Johnson, Park, and Sweetwater counties. In contrast, the unemployment rate rose across the other 15 counties.Fremont recorded the highest unemployment rate (5%, up from 4.4%), followed by Sublette (4.8%, up from 4.6%) and Niobrara (4.7%, up from 2.7%).

According to data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the same period in 2023, Wyoming had a civilian workforce of approximately 295,500 persons. Of this number, 284,000 were employed, while 11,100 were unemployed. The government sector was a top employer providing 68,000 jobs, closely followed by the Trade, Transportation, and Utilities sector with 52,300 jobs. Other major industries in the state included Leisure and Hospitality (38,100 jobs), Education and Health Services (29.6%), and Construction (21.5%).

Compared to other industries, the Mining, Logging, and Construction sector and the Leisure and Hospitality sectors marked the biggest 12-month growth, increasing by 6.3% between 2022 and 2023. Conversely, job growth slowed in the Trade, Transportation, and Utilities sector, dipping by 2.9%.

Average Income in Wyoming

According to the 2021 US Census, the estimated median household income for Wyoming in 2021 is $68,002, marking an increase of 8% compared to the previous decade. However, income levels across the state vary depending on factors such as location, occupation, education level, and other demographics. For instance,Uinta County recorded the highest mean income ($193,787), followed by Sublette County ($156,727) and Teton County ($146,006).

The median household income for families with one earner was $60,510. Households with two and three earners recorded $76,143 and $88,902, respectively. The biggest median household income, $106,004, was recorded by families with four or more members.

When residents were grouped by age, Wyomingites under 25 had a median income of $32,895, while those between 25 and 44 had a median income of $25,441.

Families in Wyoming

Wyoming Marriage Rates

52.9% of men aged 15 and over were married, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 American Community Survey marriage data, compared to 54.8% of women in the same age group. 69% of males 65 years and older were married compared against 53.8% for women within the same bracket.

Wyoming Divorce Rates

As of 2020, Wyoming has a 3.8 divorce rate — the same rate recorded in 2019 and 2018. Lower than the national divorce rate (4.6 per 1000), it marked a decline from the 4.0, 4.2, and 4.1 recorded in 2016, 2015, and 2014. Between 1990 and 2020, Wyoming recorded a steady decrease in divorce rates.

Overall, roughly 12.3% of inhabitants 15 years and over were divorced, while 1.4% were separated. When looking at divorce rates across ages, males between 55 to 64 years had the highest incidences (21.9%), and males between 15 and 19 had the lowest rate (0.1%). The divorce percentage was highest among American Indians or Alaskan natives, peaking at 18.7%. Divorce percentages among whites alone, Hispanics, and people of two or more races were 12.7%, 10.6%, and 13%, respectively.

Life Expectancy in Wyoming

According to the National Center for Health Statistics of the CDC, the life expectancy of Wyoming residents at birth is 76 years as of 2020. Based on current age-specific mortality rates, individuals can expect to live beyond 70 years from birth under typical circumstances.

In Wyoming, the fertility rate of women aged 15-44 is 56 births per 1000 women, while the teen birth rate is 18 births per 1000 females ages 15-19 years old. The state ranks 23rd in the US for its preterm birth rate of 10%. Additionally, 9.7% of all births result in low birthweight infants (less than 5.5 pounds), placing Wyoming 6th among other US states in this category.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Wyoming. The state also has a drug overdose death rate of 17.4 per 100,000, a firearm injury death rate of 25.9 per 100,000, and both an infant mortality rate and a homicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people.

Wyoming Crime Rates

According to reports published by the Uniform Crime Reporting Program of the FBI, Wyoming is described as having a lower crime rate than the national average. Perhaps owing to the state’s low population density.

In 2019, the state’s law enforcement agencies reported over 17,000 criminal offenses, with a crime rate of 2946.8 per 100,000. A breakdown of the data revealed a violent crime rate of 205.3 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 2,714.5 per 100,000. There were 20 reported homicides, 260 rape incidents, 842 robberies, 2015 burglaries, 12,885 incidents of larceny theft, and 961 reported motor vehicle thefts.

25%

71%

93%

316 %

Data provided by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation showed a 25% increase in reported violent crimes by 2020. There was a marked 71% increase in homicides, a 93% increase in reported sexual assaults, and a 316% upward swing in reported aggravated assaults.

On the other hand, Wyoming’s property crime rate increased by under 4% in 2020. Compared to 2019, the state’s law enforcement agencies reported 1,129 burglary incidents, signaling a 6.8% decline, but a 35.7%, 20.45%, and 2.64% increase in reports of motor vehicle theft, arson, and larceny offenses, respectively.

Wyoming Incarceration Rate

According to statistics from the National Institute of Corrections,

428 per 100,000

In 2019, the National Institute of Corrections reported Wyoming’s incarceration rate to be 428 per 100,000, a marked decline from the 850 per 100,000 rates recorded by independent publications in 2015

4,000 inmates

Wyoming is estimated to have the 14th-17th highest prison/jail incarceration rate, with nearly 4,000 inmates in prison or jail and 5,569 on parole.

Ultimately, incarceration rates in Wyoming generally follow nationwide trends, with the overall rates fluctuating with changes in crime rate, sentencing policies, economic conditions, and several other factors.

Facilities run by Wyoming had a budget of $4,918,224,703 and a staff of 25,154 workers. In 2019, In Wyoming's community correctional system, there were 4,280 people on parole and 179,594 people on probation. Additionally, in 2020, Wyoming had an incarceration rate of 371 per 100,000 persons. The state also had 1,021 per 100,000 persons in probationers and 24 per 100,000 persons in parolees.

Wyoming Bankruptcy Rate

According to data from the American Bankruptcy Institute, Wyoming has recorded a consistent decline in bankruptcy filings since the early 2000s, when approximately 1,500 cases were filed annually.

2022

450 cases

As of 2022, the number of bankruptcy filings decreased by over 25% in relation to the state’s population, with only 450 cases filed per year across Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13 bankruptcies.

This suggests a marked improvement in the financial stability of Wyoming residents and businesses as fewer individuals and entities are facing challenges that require the legal protection of bankruptcy. This can be attributed to better financial management, economic growth, and a shift in the types of local businesses and industries prevalent in the state.

Weird Laws in Wyoming

Wyoming has its fair share of weird laws that may seem outdated or unusual by today's standards. Some of these laws are still on the books, but many are not enforced. Here are a few more examples of weird laws in Wyoming: