What do portions of Wyoming and Maine have in common? In each state, there are several counties where the population is fewer than one person per square mile.
That may come as a surprise to some people, especially because Maine’s population is more than double that of Wyoming’s.
Here’s another bit of unexpected trivia: When considering what percentage of each state’s population lives in a rural area, Maine ranks second (behind Vermont), whereas Wyoming comes in at the No. 12 spot, behind both of the Dakotas and Montana.
“Wyoming is not as rural as people think,” said Jim Fonseca, a retired professor of geography and dean emeritus at Ohio University in Zanesville. He’s also the author of “The One Minute Geographer” on Medium, where he writes about world geography.
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The reason why people might be surprised by Wyoming’s rural ranking is because the U.S. Census Bureau classifies urban areas as having at least 2,000 housing units, or a population of at least 5,000 people.
Anything else is considered rural.
Rural is less so people living alone in the woods and more so lots of small towns with only a few hundred people apiece, which is common in states like Maine and Vermont, Fonseca said.
“One thing we’re dealing with is the unexpected definition of what is rural,” he said.
Population density in Wyoming counties shows a large part of the state has fewer than one person per mile.
Thorofare’s Remoteness
Wyoming does, indeed, rightfully live up to its widespread distinction as home to the most remote place in the continental U.S. That’s the Thorofare Ranger Station, located in the southeast corner of Yellowstone National Park.
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There are so many different ways to measure remoteness that Jerome Dobson, the longtime former president of the American Geographical Society, was a bit dubious about Thorofare’s claim to fame.
But the ranger station came out on top as the most remote location in the lower 48 when Dobson considered the following factors: how long it would take to hike to the nearest trailhead, the distance to the nearest fast-food restaurant and the difficulty of the trail.
“It turned out to be a pretty good measure of remoteness,” he said.
To be fair, three locations in Alaska — within the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Reserve, Denali National Park and Preserve and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Reserve — are more remote than Thorofare.
But Dobson, who is also a professor emeritus at the University of Kansas, said the ranking of remoteness still was a bit surprising.
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“What really struck me was that the places that I thought might compete for most remote weren’t on the list,” he said.
Specifically, he said he was surprised that the top 25 most remote locations, by his measure, didn’t include locations somewhere in the Appalachia or near the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia.
Despite its relative ruralness, Maine doesn’t have a location that ranked highly by Dobson’s measures for remoteness.
Rural Flight
But when thinking about how rural Wyoming is, Fonseca said, the state shares many commonalities with other areas of the country — including Maine.
Ruralites nationwide are grappling with finding sufficient job opportunities or easily accessing groceries and medical services. That’s why so many young people have deemed that being rural is a disadvantage, and rural populations are aging as the younger generations move elsewhere, he added.
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That’s also why Wyoming is pretty typical in one regard: most of the population lives within a relatively short distance of the I-80 or I-25 corridors.
“We’ve tended to organize ourselves in these areas since the automobile was invented,” Fonseca said.
The Thorofare Ranger Station in the southwest corner of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming has long been credited as the most remote place in the Lower 48. A geographer testing this claim found Maine is more rural than Wyoming. (Courtesy National Park Service)
The Thorofare Ranger Station in the southwest corner of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming has long been credited as the most remote place in the Lower 48. A geographer testing this claim found Maine is more rural than Wyoming. (Courtesy National Park Service)
Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites, and Trails has officially released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for professional appraisal services to evaluate concession facilities at Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis, Wyoming.
These appraisals are mandated by 2026 Senate Enrolled Act 27, Section 335, which requires appraisals of the “capital investment” and “ongoing concern” for the businesses known as the Star Plunge and the Hot Springs Hotel and Spa.
Qualified professional appraisers are encouraged to review the full requirements. Proposals must be submitted through the State’s Public Purchase online bidding system by 2:00 p.m., May 18, 2026. To view the full RFP (Number 0270-M), please visit https://www.publicpurchase.com/gems/wyominggsd,wy/buyer/public/home.
For additional information, contact Wyoming State Parks’ Visitor Services Manager Stephanie Dillmon at (307) 777-5734 or by email at Stephanie.Dillmon2@wyo.gov or learn more about Wyoming State Parks at wyoparks.wyo.gov.
When a clinic closes in Wyoming, it doesn’t just close a door; it can cut off access to care for entire communities.
For many residents, getting to a health care provider already means traveling long distances across multiple counties, and local clinics are often the only nearby option for basic health care. With one Title X Family Planning clinic in western Wyoming now closed, the challenge is becoming even more real for many people.
Reproductive and sexual health care is a key part of overall health, but it’s often one of the first services people lose access to when clinics close. Title X Family Planning is a federal program that helps people get essential preventive care, no matter their income. These clinics offer services like birth control, cancer screenings, STI and HIV testing, and care before pregnancy. They help people stay healthy, catch problems early, and plan for their futures.
The need is real. Wyoming’s Title X Family Planning network remains a critical part of the state’s health care system, helping bridge gaps in both access and affordability. With 9 clinics currently serving communities across the state, these providers cared for nearly 12,000 patients through more than 28,000 visits between 2022 and 2025. For many, these clinics are their only source of care: 49% of patients were uninsured, and nearly half were living at or below the federal poverty level.
In a state where distance and cost can both be barriers, affordable care is essential. About 14.6% of Wyoming women ages 19–44 are uninsured, higher than the national average. Title X clinics help meet this need by offering low- or no-cost care, while also connecting patients to referrals and additional health services when needed, ensuring more individuals can get the care they deserve.
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These clinics are also on the front lines of prevention. In recent years, they delivered more than 3,100 cervical cancer screenings and about 20,000 STI and HIV tests. Services like these support early detection and treatment, helping reduce the need for more serious and costly care down the line.
In rural states like Wyoming, once a clinic closes, it is very hard to bring it back. These clinics are more than buildings; they are part of the local health care system that keeps communities healthy.
The good news is that Title X Family Planning clinics are still open, working every day to serve their communities. The Wyoming Health Council supports this network of clinics and works to ensure that people across the state can access the care they need. Through partnerships, education, and community-based programs, the organization helps connect Wyoming residents to reproductive and sexual health services, no matter where they live.
In a state where distance, cost, and provider shortages all play a role, these clinics, and the work supporting them, are more than just a convenience. They are a lifeline.
To help sustain this work and protect access to care across Wyoming, consider making a donation to the Wyoming Health Council.
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Donation Link: givebutter.com/WYTitleX
Required Federal Funding statement: This project is supported by the Office of Populations Affairs (OPA) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health (OASH) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award 1 FPHPA 006541-0-00 totaling $978,380 with 100 percent funded by OPA/OASH/HHS. The contents are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by OPA/OASH/HHS or the U.S. Government.
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CASPER, Wyo. — The Casper City Council voted Tuesday to approve on first reading a zoning change for a vacant 2.4-acre parcel located at 1530 SE Wyoming Boulevard, transitioning the property from residential to commercial use.
The ordinance reclassifies Lot 4 of the Methodist Church Addition from Residential Estate to General Business. Located between East 15th and East 18th streets, the irregular-shaped property has remained undeveloped since it was first platted in 1984.
While original plans for the subdivision envisioned a church and an associated preschool, Community Development Director Liz Becher reported those projects never materialized.
According to Becher, the applicant sought the rezoning to facilitate the potential installation of a cell tower or an off-premises sign. Under the new C-2 designation, a cell tower up to 130 feet in height is considered a permitted use by right, though any off-premises sign would still require a conditional use permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission. The applicant also owns the adjacent lot to the north, which the city rezoned to general business in 2021.
Becher said the change aligns with the “Employment Mixed Use” classification in the Generation Casper comprehensive land use plan. This designation typically supports civic, institutional and employment spaces.
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Despite the new zoning, the property remains subject to a subdivision agreement that limits traffic access. Entry and exit are restricted to right turns onto or from East 15th Street, and no access is permitted from East 18th Street.
The council will vote on two more readings of the ordinance before it is officially ratified.
