Wyoming
Wyoming, Delaware, and Montana are the most entrepreneurial states of 2024 so far. It might be due to business-friendly taxes.
Business is booming out West, even in the country’s least populated state.
Wyoming leads the nation for most new business openings per 100,000 residents since the start of 2024, according to Census Bureau data and Business Insider’s analysis of population data.
Delaware and Montana are second and third in new business openings per 100,000 residents since the start of 2024.
Wyoming has seen 1,657 new businesses open since the start of the year, according to the Census Bureau. In Delaware, 1,583 have opened. And in Montana, 1,207. All of those states are particularly tax-friendly for new entrepreneurs.
The boom in business translates to 283 new businesses per 100,000 residents in Wyoming, 153 in Delaware, and 106 in Montana.
As many Americans face high costs of living and seek out new opportunities, states like Wyoming and Montana have seen a surge in economic activity. Wyoming also led the nation in new business applications per capita in 2023, according to the Chamber of Commerce. And the number of new business applications in Wyoming in 2022 was seven times greater than in 2005, according to data from the St. Louis Fed.
According to Census Bureau data, Wyoming was the least populated state in the nation as of 2023, with 584,057 residents. Yet, Wyoming’s population is steadily growing, increasing 1.2% from 2020 to 2023.
In Montana, the population increased by 4.5% from 2020 to 2023, according to Census Bureau data.
It’s yet another sign that the economy is heading away from traditional coastal hubs, and more South and West. The pandemic shifted workers and money away from stalwarts like New York City and San Francisco, with many opting for wide open (cheaper) spaces in areas like Wyoming. And while pandemic-era population and job shifts may have slowed, it looks like business is still booming in Wyoming — perhaps showcasing a more permanent trend.
Business is bustling in some states, but many new ones won’t make it
While business is booming, it’s important to recognize that about a quarter of all new private businesses in the US fail within their first year, according to an April report by LendingTree, a loan service. Within five years, that number climbs to nearly half.
According to the Chamber of Commerce, small businesses make up 99.9% of all businesses in the US. As the Fed holds interest rates at 20-year highs and inflation cools slightly, many new business owners may struggle to find their footing.
But the Bureau of Labor Statistics does have its own measure to approximate just how many new businesses actually came of those applications; BLS splices data on past new businesses with their forecast of new businesses to yield a measure showing what actual formations might look like. And according to that measure, Wyoming and its Western counterparts — along with Delaware — are due to have businesses with some staying power.
In fact, the St. Louis Fed listed Wyoming and Delaware as the two states with the largest growth rates in number of business applications from 2005 to 2022.
Business-friendly taxation
Wyoming, Delaware, and Montana are all particularly attractive to new business owners due to their tax laws. It’s a reason that entrepreneurship might stay strong.
Wyoming is one of three states alongside South Dakota and Nevada that does not impose a corporate income tax, according to the Tax Foundation, a Washington D.C. based think tank.
Furthermore, Wyoming does not impose an individual income tax, another appeal for potential business owners.
Delaware is known for its business-friendly tax structure. About 68% of all Fortune 500 companies were incorporated in Delaware as of 2022, according to the state’s Division of Corporations.
More recently, the Economic Innovation Group found that as of 2023, a “startup surge” in new businesses has been led by “two clear belts of states in the Mountain West and Southeast.” For places like Wyoming and Delaware, EIG attributes the surge in applications partly to favorable state corporate laws.
“The startup suge is both powered and shaped by numerous local forces and policies that will affect its long-term economic impact on communities, as well,” EIG found.
And so, if you’re looking for a small business to frequent — or have an idea you want to make a reality — you too might want to head West.
Are you a new small-business owner in Wyoming, Delaware, or Montana? Contact these reporters at jtowfighi@businessinsider.com and jkaplan@businessinsider.com.
CASPER, Wyo. — High school athletics in Wyoming could see some drastic changes in the coming years following legislative changes to the state’s education budget, the Wyoming High School Activities Association recently announced in a statement.
According to the WHSAA, Wyoming school districts are facing a projected $3.9 million shortfall in activities funding, forcing officials to consider significant cuts to high school sports and extracurricular programs.
The WHSAA shared details regarding a new “silo” funding model implemented by the Legislature, stating that the recalibrated block grant model reduced funding for student activities and extra-duty responsibilities from $46.3 million to $42.4 million, an approximately 8.4% decrease statewide.
WHSAA Commissioner Trevor Wilson said the restructuring also restricts district access to an additional $76.2 million in previously flexible funding.
“A significant portion of the [April 28 WHSAA Board of Directors] meeting was dedicated to discussing the projected funding shortfall,” Wilson wrote.
The WHSAA is weighing several strategies to address rising costs with fewer resources. Proposed changes include eliminating regional tournaments and reducing the number of teams qualifying for state events from eight to four; limiting wrestling to two classes and restricting track and field state participants to the top 16 marks; making cuts to soccer, indoor track and field, Nordic and Alpine skiing, swimming and diving, spring golf and tennis; and reducing in-person speech and debate events by half and centrally locating All-State Music events to minimize travel. The board also recommended increasing gate admission or implementing student participation fees to offset costs.
While the WHSAA release states that no plans have been finalized and the various changes are currently just possibilities, Natrona County School District 1 Board of Trustees member Mary Schmidt criticized the WHSAA’s handling of the news at Monday’s board meeting.
“I take some issues with this, [including] the sheer fact that we as Board of Trustees members have not talked about that at all,” Schmidt said. “It is not our intent and it has not been brought to us to cut our athletics or activities budget for the upcoming school year. … I take issue with them picking sports and getting the community upset and ginning them up to be upset that this is all going to be cut when that hasn’t been discussed.”
Later in the meeting, Superintendent Angela Hensley clarified that Natrona County School District 1’s athletics and activities budget saw a reduction of roughly $550,000 in the coming year’s budget, but said the local school district does not plan to cut any sports.
“Thank you, Trustee Schmidt, for saying this, because I think people are wondering — we are not planning to cut athletics and activities for next year,” Hensley said. “We do have to take a look at our entire budget as we have talked about, as we learn more about these new rules that come in.”
Related
Republished with permission from Wyoming News Now, a TV news outlet covering the Cheyenne and Casper areas.
Cheyenne City Council has introduced a temporary moratorium, or pause, on new data center construction.
“The end goal is to actually have regulations in place, to have really heavy public involvement with this with data centers,” said Councilman Mark Moody.
The proposed ordinance is not a permanent ban on data centers and would not affect data centers currently under construction.
Councilman Moody says this is a bipartisan issue.
“I just want to make this clear, I’m not against data centers. We do need them from a national security perspective,” he said.
He said there needs to be more public input and regulations regarding data centers in Cheyenne.
The ordinance would require city staff to study data center impacts such as electricity usage, electricity tariffs, closed-loop cooling systems, groundwater impacts, agricultural impacts, and land value.
Cheyenne LEADS, the economic development corporation for Cheyenne and Laramie County, reported in November 2025 that there are 12 operational data centers in Wyoming, five under construction and plans for 43 data centers announced across the state.
“There needs to be more public input with this, and also to see how many we can sustain here in this community, cause there are talks of 43, and then another day 70. How many can we sustain here?” said Councilman Moody.
The proposed moratorium will now go to the Public Services Committee on Monday, May 18 at noon in the Municipal Building.
Sheridan will play in the North Regional Tournament at Gillette, while the South Regional Tournament will be played at Rock Springs.
North Regional Tournament at Gillette:
Checking record vs. highest team in the quadrant not involved in the tie, Thunder Basin gets the #1 Northeast seed over Campbell County, because the Lady Bolts went 3-1 vs. Sheridan, whereas the Lady Camels went 2-2.
Friday, May 15th:
(#1 NE) Thunder Basin vs. (#4 NW) Jackson – 11am
(#2 NW) Natrona County vs. (#3 NE) Sheridan – 11am
(#2 NE) Campbell County vs. (#3 NW) Kelly Walsh – 1pm
(#1 NW) Cody vs. (#4 NE) Worland – 1pm
Semi-Finals:
Thunder Basin/Jackson winner vs. Natrona County/Sheridan winner – 3pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
Campbell County/Kelly Walsh winner vs. Cody/Worland winner – 5pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
Consolation Round:
Thunder Basin/Jackson loser vs. Natrona County/Sheridan loser – 3pm LOSER OUT!
Campbell County/Kelly Walsh loser vs. Cody/Worland loser – 5pm LOSER OUT!
Saturday, May 16th:
TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
2 10am winners vs. each other – 1pm 3rd Place
TBA vs. TBA – 1pm 1st Place
South Regional Tournament at Rock Springs:
Friday, May 15th:
(#1 SW) Laramie vs. (#4 SE) Torrington – 11am
(#2 SE) Cheyenne East vs. (#3 SW) Green River – 11am
(#2 SW) Rock Springs vs. (#3 SE) Wheatland – 1pm
(#1 SE) Cheyenne Central vs. (#4 SW) Cheyenne South – 1pm
Semi-Finals:
Laramie/Torrington winner vs. Cheyenne East/Green River winner – 3pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
Rock Springs/Wheatland winner vs. Cheyenne Central/Cheyenne South winner – 5pm Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
Consolation Round:
Laramie/Torrington loser vs. Cheyenne East/Green River loser – 3pm LOSER OUT!
Rock Springs/Wheatland loser vs. Cheyenne Central/Cheyenne South loser – 5pm LOSER OUT!
Saturday, May 16th:
TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
TBA vs. TBA – 10am LOSER OUT! Winner qualifies for the state tournament.
2 10am winners vs. each other – 1pm 3rd Place
TBA vs. TBA – 1pm 1st Place
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