Wyoming cities, towns see more population declines

U.S. Census Bureau data shows the populations of Casper, Worland, Rock Springs and many other Wyoming cities and towns decreased last year.

The Casper Star Tribune reports that Casper saw the biggest drop in sheer numbers, losing 351 people. Thermopolis had the largest drop as a proportion of its population, losing 3 % of its resident.

It’s part of a trend that included about three quarters of Wyoming’s larger cities and towns, census estimates show.

Cheyenne’s population grew by more than any other city of town in Wyoming, gaining 370 new residents, or a little over 1 %.

Wyoming has the smallest population in the U.S., and it began to shrink after the 2015 energy bust brought downturns in the coal, oil and natural gas sectors.