The energy industry powered Wyoming's population growth by 14.1 percent, according the U.S. Census Bureau's numbers from the 2010 census released Thursday. The state had 563,626 residents last year, compared to 493,782 in the 2000 count. The current U.S. population is estimated at 310,929,079.

Sublette County, where the Jonah Field and other energy sites are located, grew 73.1 percent to 10,247 residents. Campbell County, home to the Powder River Basin, grew 36.9 percent.

Data show that Cheyenne leads in population with 59,466; Casper is second with 55,316; Laramie has 30,816; Gillette, 29,087, and Rock Springs, 23,036. Since the 2000 census, all cities had grown with Cheyenne up 12.2 percent; Casper, 11.4 percent, Laramie, 13.3 percent, Gillette, 48.1 percent, and Rock Springs, 23.1 percent.

By county, Laramie, with a population of 91,738, is the largest, growing 12.4 percent since 2000. The other counties in the top five are Natrona, with a population of 75,450, up 13.4 percent; Campbell, 46,133, up 36.9 percent; Sweetwater, 43,806, up 16.5 percent, and Fremont, 40,123, with a 12.1 percent increase.

The counties with the least growth were Carbon with 1.6 percent, and Big Horn with 1.8 percent. Two other counties, Hot Springs and Platte, had slight population declines. None of these counties have major natural resources or job opportunities, and all are rural.

According to Amy Bittner, an economist with the State of Wyoming's Economic Analysis Division, "The population loss from rural areas is not unique to Wyoming. Other rural areas in the U.S. are also experiencing an out-migration of people seeking job opportunities and lifestyle attractions from bigger cities and towns."

Wyoming's population remains mostly white, non-Hispanic at 86 percent, down from 89 percent in 2000, census figures show. The Hispanic population was up to 8.9 percent from 6.4 percent; Native American remained at 2.1 percent; the black population grew to 0.8 percent from 0.7 percent, and Asian grew from 0.5 to 0.8 percent.

In addition to population growth, Wyoming ranked at the top in the nation for annual job growth from 2006-08.

"In the last few years of the decade, even during the recession, Wyoming residents may have been discouraged from leaving the state due to the slow recovery of the national economy," Bittner said.

The complete population figures, tables, charts and maps are available at http://eadiy.state.wy.us/ or at the U.S. Census Bureau's website at http://www.census.gov/

 

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