Real Estate Directory - Wyoming

Population: 501,242 (2003 figures)
Capital city/population: Cheyenne 54,374
Largest cities/population:

  • Cheyenne - 54,374
  • Casper - 50,632

Wyoming is the 10th largest state, with a total area of 97,818 square miles. It has a dry climate, with cold winters and warm summers. Average winter temperatures range from 17ºF - 27º. Average annual rainfall varies from 6” – 31”. Snowfall amounts can reach 260” in some parts of the state. Wyoming was admitted into the Union on July 10, 1890. The Wind River changes its name in mid-stream, becoming the Big Horn River at a site near the north end of Wind River Canyon. It is here that Native Americans hold an annual ceremony, honoring the “Wedding of the Waters.” Wyoming is also the least-populated state in the nation.

HOUSING

Cheyenne – The market is slowing in anticipation of the colder months, and is expected to pick up, as usual, in the spring. Overall, agents report an increase in the amount of homes on the market, much of them in homes valued over $250,000, which comprise almost 25% of the market. Average price for a single-family home is $132,329. Cheyenne has its own medical center, symphony, and several sports teams. Opportunities abound for outdoor activities.

Casper – Average sales price for a single-family home is $166,455, with median sales price at $147.500. Development of many new subdivisions is taking place, with homes available in a wide range of prices. A seller’s market exists, due to the increased demand, with not enough homes to support it – development of subdivisions should ease this. Casper has low property taxes, many employment opportunities, and many outdoor activities.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

Principal industries include mineral extraction, oil, natural gas, tourism, recreation, and agriculture. Manufactured goods include refined petroleum, wood, stone/clay products, foods, electronic devices, sporting apparel, and aircraft. Crops include wheat, beans, barley, oats, sugar beets, and hay. Per capita income for 1995 was $21,321, with a total gross state product for 2004 of $24,308 million.

SCHOOLS

Wyoming has established Proficiency Assessments for Wyoming Students (PAWS), designed to focus on individual student growth and performance. Assessment areas include reading, writing, math, and science. PAWS allows for teachers to make instructional decisions regarding students throughout the year, allowing re-teaching to focus on concepts where students need additional opportunities. In the public sector, student-teacher ratio for 1994 was 15:1, with an average annual teachers’ salary for 1995 of $31,571.

Higher education is provided by the University of Wyoming, opened at Laramie in 1887. It is the state's only four-year institution. Junior colleges are located at Casper, Torrington, Powell, Sheridan, Rock Springs, Cheyenne, and Riverton.

HISTORY

In the mid-1800s, Native Americans resenting encroachment of their land waged warfare for control of the buffalo ranges and hunting grounds, especially after the opening of the Bozeman Trail. Treaties were made and broken, and wars persisted.

In southern Wyoming, discovery of gold at South Pass brought the first wave of settlers to the region, and the discovery of coal deposits nearby continued the wave. Completion of the Union Pacific Railroad stimulated the growth of towns, and trade with road crews and settlers brought a thriving economy.

In 1868, the area became a territory, with Cheyenne as the capital. Women were granted the right to vote in 1869. With cattlemen using the Texas and Long Trails, the area continued to prosper.

Wyoming became a state in 1890, and adopted a liberal constitution. The Carey Act (1894) provided for land settlement and the efficient use of water. National parks were created to protect timberlands and grazing areas. Continuing its progressive movement, a worker’s compensation law was passed in 1915, and also in that year, the legislature authorized the University of Wyoming to accept funds for agricultural experiments. In 1924, the state became the first to elect a female governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross.

Uranium was a tremendously important find in the years after World War II. New oil finds helped offset economic losses after a long drought in the 1950s. Since the 1970s, high energy prices have boosted the state’s coal, oil, and natural gas industries. Falling prices in the 1990s hurt the economy, and pollution has become a problem in some mining towns.

RELIGION (2004)

  • Christian – 78%
    • Protestant – 53%
      • Lutheran – 9%
      • Baptist – 9%
      • Methodist – 6%
      • Presbyterian – 4%
      • Episcopal – 4%
      • Other Protestant or general Protestant – 21%
    • Roman Catholic – 18%
    • Mormon – 7%
  • Other Religions – 1%
  • Non-Religious – 21%

DEMOGRAPHICS (2004)

  • White - 88.9%
  • Hispanic - 6.4%
  • Native American - 2.3%
  • Black - 0.8%
  • Asian - 0.6%
  • Mixed race - 1.8%