Population
thumb|upright=1.35|The largest population centers are [[Cheyenne, WY MSA|Cheyenne (southeast) and Casper.|left]]
The 2020 United States census counted 576,851 people living in Wyoming. The center of population of Wyoming is in Natrona County. Sparsely populated, Wyoming is the least populous state of the United States. Wyoming has the second-lowest population density in the country (behind Alaska) and is the sparsest-populated of the 48 contiguous states. It is one of only two states with a population smaller than that of the nation's capital; the only other state with this distinction is Vermont.
According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 648 homeless people in Wyoming.
According to the 2020 census, the population's racial composition was 84.7% white (81.4% non-Hispanic white), 2.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Black or African American, 0.9% Asian American, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 3.5% from some other race, and 7.5% from two or more races. As of 2011, 24.9% of Wyoming's population younger than age1 were minorities. According to data from the American Community Survey, as of 2018, Wyoming was the only U.S. state where African Americans earn a higher median income than white workers.thumb|Ethnic origins in Wyoming[[File:Ethnic_origins_in_Wyoming_(2020).jpg|thumb|Largest alone or in any combination ethnic origin by county in Wyoming, per the 2020 census]]
thumb|Largest Non-Hispanic Native American ancestry by county and numbers of people reporting "Native American Alone"
As of 2015, Wyoming had an estimated population of 586,107, which was an increase of 1,954, or 0.29%, from the prior year and an increase of 22,481, or 3.99%, since the 2010 census. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 12,165 (33,704 births minus 21,539 deaths) and an increase from net migration of 4,035 into the state. Immigration resulted in a net increase of 2,264 and migration within the country produced a net increase of 1,771. In 2004, the foreign-born population was 11,000 (2.2%). In 2005, total births in Wyoming were 7,231 (birth rate of 14.04 per thousand).
Wyoming experienced its first population decline since 1990, with a decrease of just over 1,000 people (0.2 percent) from July 2015 to July 2016. This decline was attributed to the downturn in the state's mineral extraction industry, particularly the oil and gas sector, which led to the loss of thousands of jobs. However, state economist Jim Robinson noted signs of economic stabilization. Job losses in the oil and gas industry appeared to have leveled off, and there was a slight increase in drilling activity in recent months. While the state's economy showed little growth, it was considered to have reached a more stable condition as of late 2016.
According to the 2000 census, the largest ancestry groups in Wyoming were: German (25.9%), English (15.9%), Irish (13.3%), and American Indian (4.7%). An additional 6.4% responded with "American" as their ancestry.
In 2018, the top countries of origin for Wyoming's immigrants were Mexico, China, Germany, England and Canada.
;Birth data
thumb|166x166px|Map of counties in Wyoming by racial plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census
Note: Births in table do not add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
|+ Live Births by Single Race/Ethnicity of Mother
|-
! Race
! 2013
! 2014
! 2015
! 2016
! 2017
! 2018
! 2019
! 2020
! 2021
! 2022
! 2023
|-
| White
| 6,136 (80.3%)
| 6,258 (81.3%)
| 6,196 (79.8%)
| 5,763 (78.0%)
| 5,426 (78.6%)
| 5,078 (77.4%)
| 5,158 (78.6%)
| 4,762 (77.7%)
| 4,882 (78.3%)
| 4,622 (76.4%)
| 4,553 (76.0%)
|-
| Native American
| 305 (4.0%)
| 294 (3.8%)
| 294 (3.8%)
| 200 (2.7%)
| 206 (3.0%)
| 219 (3.3%)
| 198 (3.0%)
| 176 (2.9%)
| 179 (2.9%)
| 178 (2.9%)
| 150 (2.5%)
|-
| Asian
| 124 (1.6%)
| 108 (1.4%)
| 135 (1.7%)
| 100 (1.3%)
| 79 (1.1%)
| 72 (1.1%)
| 73 (1.1%)
| 58 (0.9%)
| 67 (1.1%)
| 64 (1.1%)
| 68 (1.1%)
|-
| Black
| 125 (1.6%)
| 116 (1.5%)
| 119 (1.5%)
| 63 (0.9%)
| 45 (0.7%)
| 57 (0.9%)
| 61 (0.9%)
| 55 (0.9%)
| 48 (0.8%)
| 46 (0.7%)
| 38 (0.6%)
|-
| Hispanic (any race)
| 926 (12.1%)
| 895 (11.6%)
| 963 (12.4%)
| 973 (13.2%)
| 892 (12.9%)
| 851 (13.0%)
| 839 (12.8%)
| 818 (13.3%)
| 749 (12.0%)
| 835 (13.8%)
| 858 (14.3%)
|-
| Total
| 7,644 (100%)
| 7,696 (100%)
| 7,765 (100%)
| 7,386 (100%)
| 6,903 (100%)
| 6,562 (100%)
| 6,565 (100%)
| 6,128 (100%)
| 6,237 (100%)
| 6,049 (100%)
| 5,990 (%)
|}
thumb|Wyoming [[population pyramid]]
- Since 2016, data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in one Hispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
Languages
In 2010, 93.39% (474,343) of Wyomingites over age 5 spoke English as their primary language; 4.47% (22,722) spoke Spanish, 0.35% (1,771) spoke German, and 0.28% (1,434) spoke French. Other common non-English languages included Algonquian (0.18%), Russian (0.10%), Tagalog, and Greek (both 0.09%).
In 2007, the American Community Survey reported 6.2% (30,419) of Wyoming's population over five spoke a language other than English at home. Of those, 68.1% were able to speak English very well, 16.0% spoke English well, 10.9% did not speak English well, and 5.0% did not speak English at all.
Religion
In 2020, the Public Religion Research Institute determined that about 55% of Wyoming's adult population was Christian, primarily evangelical and mainline Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Mormon. The Public Religion Research Institute survey documented a decrease in religiosity from a 2014 separate Pew Research Center study; according to the Public Religion Research Institute, the unaffiliated made up 40% of the state population by 2020. According to a 2013 Gallup poll, Wyomingites' religious affiliations were 49% Protestant, 23% nonreligious or other, 18% Catholic, 9% Latter-day Saint (Mormons), and less than 1% Jewish.
A 2010 Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) report recognized as Wyoming's largest denominations the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), with 62,804 (11%); the Catholic Church, with 61,222 (10.8%); and the Southern Baptist Convention, with 15,812 (2.8%). The report counted 59,247 evangelical Protestants (10.5%), 36,539 mainline Protestants (6.5%), 785 Eastern Orthodox Christians; 281 Black Protestants; 65,000 adhering to other traditions; and 340,552 claiming no religious tradition. In 2020, ARDA reported the state's largest individual denominations as the following: the Catholic Church (69,500); the LDS Church (67,729); and the Southern Baptist Convention (11,082). Non-denominational Protestants were 23,410 in number.
According to ARDA's 2020 report, the Roman Catholics had an adherence rate of 120.48 per 1,000 people, Mormons 117.41 per 1,000 people, and Southern Baptists 19.21 per 1,000 people. Non-denominational Protestants had an adherence rate of 40.58 per 1,000 people; these trends reflected the separate 2014 Pew study's varying attendance at religious services. In 2014, 38% visited a religious service at least once a week, 28% once or twice a month, and 32% seldom/never.
Economy and infrastructure
thumb|[[Wind farm in Uinta County]]
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, in 2025, Wyoming's gross state product was $52.6 billion and the state's per capita personal income was $89,806. , the population was growing slightly with the most growth in tourist-oriented areas, such as Teton County. Boom conditions in neighboring states, such as North Dakota, were drawing energy workers away. About half of Wyoming's counties showed population loss. The state makes active efforts through Wyoming Grown, an internet-based recruitment program, to find jobs for young people educated in Wyoming who have emigrated but may wish to return. , the state's unemployment rate was 3.3%.
In 2025, Wyoming experienced its highest growth in new business formations, up 35% from 2024 with 227,723 new businesses formed, according to Business Observer. That same year, small businesses made up 98.9% of businesses in the state, and employed 65.2% of its work force.
The mineral-extraction industry and travel and tourism sector are the main drivers of Wyoming's economy. The federal government owns about 42.3% of its landmass, while the state controls 6%. Tyler Lindholm, a former state legislator, claimed that 500 member-owned limited liability companies built on blockchain had been established and that 17,000 businesses with "crypto" in their name were registered by 2023.
State legislators appointed a commission in 2023 to create a stablecoin, aiming to be the first cryptocurrency created by a U.S. state. It launched in August 2025.
Mineral and energy production
thumb|Wyoming coal production from 2001 to 2023.
thumb|[[North Antelope Rochelle Mine, the largest estimated coal mine reserve in the world, as of 2013]]
thumb|upright|A natural gas [[drilling rig|rig west of the Wind River Range]]
Wyoming's mineral commodities include coal, natural gas, coalbed methane, crude oil, uranium, and trona.
Coal
Wyoming produced 277 million short tons (251 million metric tons) of coal in 2019, a 9% drop from 2018. Wyoming's coal production peaked in 2008, when 514 million short tons (466 million metric tons) were produced.
Oil
Wyoming produced of crude oil in 2007, ranking fifth nationwide in oil production. By 2022, Wyoming ranked eighth nationally in the production of both crude oil and natural gas and was the second-largest producer of oil and gas on federal lands. At its peak in 2022, the state had 27,951 producing wells, including 10,120 oil wells and 17,800 gas wells. Wyoming's oil reserves were estimated at 978 million barrels at the end of 2021, representing 2.4% of U.S. reserves. The state had four operational refineries in 2022 with a combined refining capacity of 125,850 barrels per day, a significant reduction from the 14 refineries operating in 1981.
Wind energy
Because of its geography and altitude, the potential for wind energy in Wyoming is one of the highest of any U.S. state. The Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project is the largest commercial wind generation facility under development in North America. Carbon County is home to the largest proposed wind farm in the nation. Construction plans have been halted because of proposed new taxes on wind power energy production.
Other
The Kelsey Lake Diamond Mine in Colorado, less than from the Wyoming border, produced gem-quality diamonds for several years. The Wyoming craton, which hosts the kimberlite volcanic pipes that were mined, underlies most of Wyoming.
Wyoming possesses the world's largest known reserve of trona, a mineral used in manufacturing glass, paper, soaps, baking soda, water softeners, and pharmaceuticals. In 2008, Wyoming produced 46 million short tons (41.7 million metric tons) of trona, 25% of the world's production. In 2024, the uranium industry in the state experienced a significant resurgence due to a sharp increase in uranium prices. Rare earth metals are also among Wyoming's mineral commodities.
Taxes
Unlike most other states, Wyoming levies no individual or corporate income tax. It also assesses no tax on retirement income earned and received from another state. Wyoming has a state sales tax of 4%. Counties have the option to collect an additional 1% tax for general revenue and a 1% tax for specific purposes, if approved by voters. Food for human consumption is not subject to sales tax. A county lodging tax varies from 2% to 5%. The state collects a use tax of 5% on items purchased elsewhere and brought into Wyoming. All property tax is based on the property's assessed value; Wyoming's Department of Revenue's Ad Valorem Tax Division supports, trains, and guides local government agencies in the uniform assessment, valuation and taxation of locally assessed property. "Assessed value" means taxable value; "taxable value" means a percentage of the fair market value of property in a particular class. Statutes limit property tax increases. For county revenue, the property tax rate cannot exceed 12 mills (or 1.2%) of assessed value. For cities and towns, the rate is limited to eight mills (0.8%). With very few exceptions, state law limits the property tax rate for all governmental purposes.
Personal property held for personal use is tax-exempt. Inventory held for resale, pollution control equipment, cash, accounts receivable, stocks and bonds are also exempt. Other exemptions include property used for religious, educational, charitable, fraternal, benevolent and government purposes and improvements for handicapped access. Mine lands, underground mining equipment, and oil and gas extraction equipment are exempt from property tax, but companies must pay a gross products tax on minerals and a severance tax on mineral production. Severance taxes on natural resources fund the Wyoming Permanent Mineral Trust Fund, the state's largest sovereign wealth fund.
Wyoming does not collect capital gains tax, gift tax, or estate tax.
In 2008, the Tax Foundation reported that Wyoming had the most "business-friendly" tax climate of any U.S. state. Wyoming state and local governments in fiscal year 2007 collected $2.242 billion in taxes, levies, and royalties from the oil and gas industry. The state's mineral industry, including oil, gas, trona, and coal, provided $1.3 billion in property taxes from 2006 mineral production. As of 2017, Wyoming receives more federal tax dollars as a percentage of state general revenue than any state except Montana.
As of 2016, Wyoming does not require the beneficial owners of LLCs to be disclosed in the filing, which creates an opportunity for a tax haven, according to Clark Stith of Clark Stith & Associates. If fact, Wyoming was the first state to enact a statute authorizing the creation of LLCs. By 2024, company registrations were higher per capita in Wyoming than those in Delaware, which is historically the most prominent US tax haven. Entities linked to foreign adversaries have been observed exploiting Wyoming's business filing policies for fraudulent purposes, prompting state legislators to draft bills for increased oversight and restrictions. One of these bills, targeting foreign adversaries, was signed into law on February 24, 2025. Three interstate highways and 13 U.S. highways pass through Wyoming. The Wyoming state highway system also serves the state.
Interstate 25 enters Wyoming south of Cheyenne and runs north, intersecting Interstate 80 immediately west of Cheyenne. It passes through Casper and ends at Interstate 90, near Buffalo. Interstate 80 crosses the Utah border west of Evanston and runs east through the southern third of the state, passing through Cheyenne before entering Nebraska near Pine Bluffs. Interstate 90 comes into Wyoming near Parkman and cuts through the northeastern part of the state. It serves Gillette and enters South Dakota east of Sundance.
U.S. Routes 14, 16, and the eastern section of U.S. 20 have their western terminus at the eastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park and pass through Cody. U.S. 14 runs eastward before joining I-90 at Gillette. U.S. 14 then follows I-90 to the South Dakota border. U.S. 16 and 20 split off of U.S. 14 at Greybull and U.S. 16 turns east at Worland while U.S. 20 continues south Shoshoni. U.S. Route 287 runs from Fort Collins, Colorado, to Laramie, Wyoming, through a pass between the Laramie Mountains and the Medicine Bow Mountains, then merges with US 30 and I-80 until it reaches Rawlins, where it continues north, passing Lander. Outside of Moran, U.S. 287 is part of a large interchange with U.S. Highways 26, 191, and 89, before continuing north to Yellowstone's southern entrance. U.S. 287 continues north of Yellowstone, but the park separates the two sections.
Other U.S. highways that pass through Wyoming are 18, 26, 30, 85, 87, 89, 189, 191, 212, and 287.
Wyoming is one of only two states (the other is South Dakota) in the 48 contiguous states not served by Amtrak. It was once served by Amtrak's San Francisco Zephyr and Pioneer lines. While no passenger trains roll through Wyoming today, intercity buses continue to connect residents across the state. Intercity bus carriers in the state include Express Arrow, Greyhound Lines, and Jefferson Lines.
{| class="collapsible collapsed" style="border:1px #aaa solid; width:50em; margin:0.2em auto"
|-
! Local transit map
|-
|
|}
Major interstates
- (300.5 mi) connects Denver, Cheyenne, Casper and Buffalo. Most of the highway is connected with US 87. Major junctions include Interstate 80, US 30, US 85, US 26, US Routes 18 & 20 and US 16 before its northern terminus at Interstate 90 in Buffalo.
- (402.8 mi) connects Evanston, Rock Springs, Rawlins, Laramie and Cheyenne. Major junctions include US 191, US 287, I-25, and US 85 & I-180.
- (208.8 mi) connects Sheridan, Buffalo and Gillette. Primarily in northeastern Wyoming. Major junctions include US 14, I-25 and US 16.
Wind River Indian Reservation
thumb|[[Wind River Canyon]]
The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes share the Wind River Indian Reservation in central western Wyoming, near Lander. The reservation is home to 2,500 Eastern Shoshone and 5,000 Northern Arapaho.
Chief Washakie established the reservation in 1868 as the result of negotiations with the federal government in the Fort Bridger Treaty, but the federal government forced the Northern Arapaho onto the Shoshone reservation in 1876 after it failed to provide a promised separate reservation. It is a sovereign, self-governed land with two independent governing bodies: the Eastern Shoshone Tribe and the Northern Arapaho Tribe. Until 2014, the Shoshone Business Council and Northern Arapaho Business Council met jointly as the Joint Business Council to decide matters that affect both tribes. Most of it is administered by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service in numerous national forests and a national grassland, not to mention vast swaths of public land and an air force base near Cheyenne.
thumb|upright=1.25|National Park Service sites map
There are also areas managed by the National Park Service and agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
:National parks
- Grand Teton National Park
- Yellowstone National Park—first designated national park in the world
:Memorial parkway
- The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway connects Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
:National recreation areas
- Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
- Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area (managed by the Forest Service as part of Ashley National Forest)
:National monuments
- Devils Tower National Monument—first national monument in the U.S.
Higher education
Wyoming has a public four-year institution, the University of Wyoming in Laramie, and a private four-year college, Wyoming Catholic College, in Lander. There are also seven two-year community colleges.
Before the passing of a new law in 2006, Wyoming had hosted unaccredited institutions, many of them suspected diploma mills. The 2006 law requires unaccredited institutions to make one of three choices: move out of Wyoming, close down, or apply for accreditation. The Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization predicted in 2007 that in a few years the problem of diploma mills in Wyoming might be resolved.
Media
Wyoming's media market consists of 16 broadcast TV stations, radio stations and dozens of small to medium-sized newspapers. There are also a few small independent news sources such as the nonprofit news site Wyofile.com and Oil City News.
Government and politics
thumb|Wyoming State Capitol building, Cheyenne
thumb|Logo for the State of Wyoming
State government
Wyoming's Constitution established three branches of government: the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The state legislature comprises a House of Representatives with 60 members and a Senate with 30 members. The executive branch is headed by the governor and includes a secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, and superintendent of public instruction. As Wyoming does not have a lieutenant governor, the secretary of state is first in the line of succession.
Wyoming's sparse population warrants the state only one at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, and hence only three votes in the Electoral College.
The Wyoming State Liquor Association is the state's sole legal wholesale distributor of spirits, making it an alcoholic beverage control state. With the exception of wine, state law prohibits the purchase of alcoholic beverages for resale from any other source.
Judicial system
Wyoming's highest court is the Supreme Court of Wyoming, with five justices presiding over appeals from the state's lower courts. Wyoming is unusual in that it does not have an intermediate appellate court, like most states. This is largely attributable to the state's population and correspondingly lower caseload. Appeals from the state district courts go directly to the Wyoming Supreme Court. Wyoming also has state circuit courts (formerly county courts), of limited jurisdiction, which handle certain types of cases, such as civil claims with lower dollar amounts, misdemeanor criminal offenses, and felony arraignments. Circuit court judges also commonly hear small claims cases as well.
Before 1972, Wyoming judges were selected by popular vote on a nonpartisan ballot. This earlier system was criticized by the state bar which called for the adoption of the Missouri Plan, a system designed to balance judiciary independence with judiciary accountability. In 1972, an amendment to Article5 of the Wyoming Constitution, which incorporated a modified version of the plan, was adopted by the voters. Since the adoption of the amendment, all state court judges in Wyoming are nominated by the Judicial Nominating Commission and appointed by the Governor. They are then subject to a retention vote by the electorate one year after appointment.
Political history
[[File:Party registration by Wyoming county.svg|thumb|Party registration by Wyoming county (March 2023):
]]
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|+ Voter registration and party enrollment :
|-
! colspan = 2 | Party
! Number of voters
! Percentage
|-
|
| Republican
| style="text-align:center;"| 212,201
| style="text-align:center;"| 77.21%
|-
|
| Democratic
| style="text-align:center;"| 31,904
| style="text-align:center;"| 11.60%
|-
|
| Unaffiliated
| style="text-align:center;"| 25,981
| style="text-align:center;"| 9.45%
|-
|
| Libertarian
| style="text-align:center;"| 1,804
| style="text-align:center;"| 0.65%
|-
|
| Constitution
| style="text-align:center;"| 552
| style="text-align:center;"| 0.20%
|-
|
|Other/No labels
| style="text-align:center;"| 2,379
| style="text-align:center;"| 0.86%
|-
! colspan = 2 | Total
! style="text-align:center;"| 274,821
! style="text-align:center;"| 100.00%
|}
Wyoming's political history defies easy classification. The state was the first to grant women the right to vote and to elect a woman governor. On December 10, 1869, John Allen Campbell, the first Governor of the Wyoming Territory, approved the first law in United States history explicitly granting women the right to vote. This day was later commemorated as Wyoming Day.
Wyoming retains the death penalty. Authorized methods of execution include the gas chamber.
Culture
Sports
Due to its sparse population, Wyoming lacks any major professional sports teams; the Gillette Mustangs, an indoor football team based in Gillette that began play in 2021 prior to their departure from the city in 2023, were previously the only professional team in the state. However, the Wyoming Cowboys and Cowgirls—particularly the football and basketball teams—are quite popular; their stadiums in Laramie are about above sea level, the highest in NCAA DivisionI. The Wyoming High School Activities Association also sponsors twelve sports and there are three junior ice hockey teams, all of which are members of the NA3HL. Casper has hosted the College National Finals Rodeo since 2001.
State symbols
thumb|State flower of Wyoming: Indian paintbrush
List of all Wyoming state symbols: