Fastest-growing counties in Wyoming
Why do people move from one county or region to another? The usual suspects are jobs, family, significant others, and overall cost of living, but there are other elements at play. For those with children, moving within close proximity of a highly rated school district is a key contributing factor. For younger adults just starting out, living someplace with a vibrant social scene might be a top priority. And for those whose careers have wound down after a lifetime of work, finding retirement-friendly communities is the goal—communities deemed to be safe, offer accessibility to medical resources and leisure activities in equal measure, and be affordable for those on a limited income.
This is, of course, by no means an exhaustive list. People's reasons for choosing to live where they do are as diverse as people themselves.
As far as why certain counties across the U.S. have experienced growth, relocation is not the sole, or even primary, reason why. While more than 1,800 counties saw population gains in 2021, approximately 73% of all U.S. counties saw what the U.S. Census Bureau characterizes as a natural decrease. This was a significant jump from 2020, when 55.5% of countries experienced such a decrease. According to the Bureau, natural decrease is the simple result of "when there are more deaths than births in a population over a given time period." In 2021, the conflation of fewer births with an aging population that was also absorbing a higher-than-usual mortality rate due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic led to this "increased decrease."
Nonetheless, as stated 1,800 counties nationwide have grown larger over the last year, and a sizable percentage of them are in Wyoming. Stacker compiled a list of the fastest-growing counties in Wyoming using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest population growth from 2010 to 2020, based on the U.S. Decennial Census.
#23. Sweetwater County
--- #2,717 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -3.5%
--- #17 among counties in Wyoming, #2,077 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 42,272
--- #4 largest county in Wyoming, #1,138 largest county nationwide
#22. Sublette County
--- #2,711 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -14.8%
--- #23 among counties in Wyoming, #3,048 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 8,728
--- #16 largest county in Wyoming, #2,509 largest county nationwide
#21. Carbon County
--- #2,661 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -8.5%
--- #21 among counties in Wyoming, #2,750 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 14,537
--- #12 largest county in Wyoming, #2,115 largest county nationwide
#20. Fremont County
--- #2,434 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -2.2%
--- #15 among counties in Wyoming, #1,882 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 39,234
--- #5 largest county in Wyoming, #1,195 largest county nationwide
#19. Washakie County
--- #2,409 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -9.9%
--- #22 among counties in Wyoming, #2,860 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 7,685
--- #19 largest county in Wyoming, #2,599 largest county nationwide
#18. Goshen County
--- #2,359 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -5.7%
--- #20 among counties in Wyoming, #2,427 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 12,498
--- #14 largest county in Wyoming, #2,239 largest county nationwide
#17. Uinta County
--- #2,302 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -3.2%
--- #16 among counties in Wyoming, #2,025 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 20,450
--- #10 largest county in Wyoming, #1,795 largest county nationwide
#16. Weston County
--- #2,003 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -5.1%
--- #19 among counties in Wyoming, #2,349 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 6,838
--- #21 largest county in Wyoming, #2,670 largest county nationwide
#15. Hot Springs County
--- #1,756 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -4.0%
--- #18 among counties in Wyoming, #2,160 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 4,621
--- #22 largest county in Wyoming, #2,845 largest county nationwide
#14. Big Horn County
--- #1,693 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -1.3%
--- #13 among counties in Wyoming, #1,699 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 11,521
--- #15 largest county in Wyoming, #2,314 largest county nationwide
#13. Johnson County
--- #1,656 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -1.4%
--- #14 among counties in Wyoming, #1,733 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 8,447
--- #18 largest county in Wyoming, #2,538 largest county nationwide
#12. Converse County
--- #1,602 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -0.6%
--- #10 among counties in Wyoming, #1,583 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 13,751
--- #13 largest county in Wyoming, #2,171 largest county nationwide
#11. Platte County
--- #1,578 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -0.7%
--- #12 among counties in Wyoming, #1,597 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 8,605
--- #17 largest county in Wyoming, #2,524 largest county nationwide
#10. Niobrara County
--- #1,511 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: -0.7%
--- #11 among counties in Wyoming, #1,593 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 2,467
--- #23 largest county in Wyoming, #3,001 largest county nationwide
#9. Crook County
--- #1,398 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +1.4%
--- #9 among counties in Wyoming, #1,268 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 7,181
--- #20 largest county in Wyoming, #2,645 largest county nationwide
#8. Albany County
--- #1,067 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +2.1%
--- #7 among counties in Wyoming, #1,164 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 37,066
--- #6 largest county in Wyoming, #1,249 largest county nationwide
#7. Campbell County
--- #1,031 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +1.9%
--- #8 among counties in Wyoming, #1,196 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 47,026
--- #3 largest county in Wyoming, #1,035 largest county nationwide
#6. Park County
--- #919 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +5.0%
--- #6 among counties in Wyoming, #819 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 29,624
--- #8 largest county in Wyoming, #1,439 largest county nationwide
#5. Lincoln County
--- #909 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +8.1%
--- #3 among counties in Wyoming, #559 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 19,581
--- #11 largest county in Wyoming, #1,841 largest county nationwide
#4. Sheridan County
--- #844 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +6.2%
--- #4 among counties in Wyoming, #685 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 30,921
--- #7 largest county in Wyoming, #1,407 largest county nationwide
#3. Teton County
--- #810 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +9.6%
--- #1 among counties in Wyoming, #447 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 23,331
--- #9 largest county in Wyoming, #1,668 largest county nationwide
#2. Natrona County
--- #594 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +6.0%
--- #5 among counties in Wyoming, #723 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 79,955
--- #2 largest county in Wyoming, #712 largest county nationwide
#1. Laramie County
--- #455 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2020 percent population change: +9.6%
--- #2 among counties in Wyoming, #448 among all counties nationwide
- 2020 population: 100,512
--- #1 largest county in Wyoming, #601 largest county nationwide