Wyoming Faces Rapid Population Aging, Outpacing All Other States

Between July 2023 and July 2024, Wyoming’s elderly population (65 and older) grew by 3.2%, significantly outpacing the state's overall population growth of just 0.4%. This per an annual report from the Wyoming Economic Analysis Division.

This rapid aging trend is the fastest in the U.S., primarily driven by the Baby Boomer generation, but also impacted by the outmigration of younger residents and a decline in fertility rates.

Since 2011, when the first Baby Boomers reached 65, Wyoming’s older population has surged, with the median age increasing to 39.9 years in 2024.

This is one of the highest in the country, surpassed only by Montana among neighboring states.

Wyoming has one of the highest proportions of Baby Boomers and one of the lowest proportions of Generation X.

The state's elderly population grew by 15.9% from 2020 to 2024, while the under-18 population shrank by 4.5%.

By 2024, 19.7% of Wyoming’s population was aged 65 or older, and this proportion is expected to grow by 10% through 2030. In contrast, the total population is expected to increase by less than 2%.

The state's minority population also increased by 8.9% from 2020 to 2024, contributing to most of Wyoming's population growth.

The Hispanic population, the largest minority group, grew by 10%, while Black, American Indian, and Asian populations saw smaller increases.

Despite this growth, minorities make up just 17.4% of Wyoming's population, the sixth-lowest percentage in the U.S., where minorities make up 42.5% of the population.

At the county level, minority populations increased most in Hot Springs, Big Horn, and Campbell counties. Meanwhile, Fremont County had the highest percentage of minorities, mainly due to the American Indian population. On the other hand, Crook County had the lowest minority proportion at 5.9%.

In terms of age demographics, Hot Springs County had the state's oldest population, with 31.1% of residents aged 65 or older, while Albany County had the youngest population with a median age of just 28.9 years.

Uinta and Campbell counties had the highest percentage of children, while Albany and Campbell counties had the lowest percentage of elderly residents.