LARAMIE, Wyo. — Wyoming’s economic outlook is mixed for 2025, with a continuing decline in the coal industry, shortages in housing and child care, and an aging population clouding the state’s mid- and long-term growth prospects, according to a new University of Wyoming report.
The Center for Business and Economic Analysis in UW’s College of Business issued its second annual Wyoming Economic Forecast in conjunction with the Governor’s Business Forum.
“The year ahead for Wyoming holds many opportunities and challenges, including finding solutions to current binding constraints for growth — housing affordability for workers, challenging transportation and connectivity resulting in constrained access to markets, a thin and complex labor market, and the brain drain in our higher-education graduates, among others,” the report reads.
Still, the report predicts a slight increase in the state’s labor force in 2025, with just a small increase in the unemployment rate to 3.2%, lower than the national rate. And the state’s population is expected to increase slightly.
Advertisement
The UW economists used the large-scale structural economic forecasting model Moody’s Analytics, along with conversations with Wyoming and regional business leaders, to develop the economic outlook report.
Among the positive signs for Wyoming’s economy:
Employment in natural resources and mining is expected to rise slightly in 2025, along with increases in wholesale trade; construction; manufacturing; retail trade; transportation and utilities; financial services; education and health services; leisure and hospitality; information services; and professional and business services.
The continuing decline in employment, wages and the coal industry’s contribution to the gross state product are offset somewhat by a relatively strong outlook for other natural resources, including trona and rare earth elements.
There are strong business startup numbers, along with growing manufacturing clusters, most notably in Sheridan and Casper.
Wyoming ranks No. 2 nationally in science and engineering degrees as a percentage of higher education degrees conferred, with 45.8% of the awarded degrees in those fields compared to the national average of 35.7%.
Venture capital disbursed per $1 million in gross state product in 2022 was $16,149.76 versus the U.S. average of $9,898.93; dollars disbursed per venture capital deal totaled $11.49 million, ranking Wyoming No. 5 nationally versus the U.S. average of $10.14 million per deal.
The rate of patents has increased significantly, with 15.18 patents per 1,000 individuals in science and engineering occupations, up from the historical range of four to 12 patents per 1,000 people in those fields.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, new business applications in the state were up 25% between September 2023 and September 2024. Wyoming also recently was ranked as the sixth-most entrepreneurial state in the nation by The Digital Project.
On the other hand, economic headwinds include:
A continuing lack of quality, affordable housing.
Rising property values that are pinching many Wyoming homeowners, although Wyoming residential property tax rates are still among the lowest in the nation.
Continuing lack of access to child care for workers.
Continuing lack of mobility for business travelers, with numerous winter closures of highways and some reductions in airline service.
Lack of reliable internet connectivity, with 18.5% of Wyoming locations currently unserved by any broadband provider.
A relatively low college-going rate, with only about half of Wyoming high school graduates pursuing higher education.
Continuing outmigration of college-educated young people, with around 37% of UW alumni still living in the state among graduates between 2007-2024.
The growth in the state’s population will be driven primarily by people ages 45 and over, with the populations of residents 0-4, 5-19, 20-24 and 25-44 years old expected to decline.
“The implications of our aging population are broad reaching,” the report reads. “The K-12 school-age student population will be impacted in both the near- and long-term; the workforce necessary for economic growth and the number of potential entrepreneurs and small-business owners will decline. In addition, by 2031, the high school enrollment of the state is expected to decline by 5.6%, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics.”
People can read the full Wyoming Economic Forecast online here.
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
PAID FOR BY WYOMING HEALTH COUNCIL This article is a promoted post. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the organization that paid for the article, and do not necessarily reflect the views, thoughts or opinions of Oil City News, its employees or its publisher. Please fill out this form if you would like to speak to our sales department about advertising opportunities on Oil City News.
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.
Advertisement
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.
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Two men were detained in Wyoming in connection with a fatal shooting at a downtown Salt Lake hotel that killed one man.
Carlos Chee, 23, and Chino Aguilar, 21, were both wanted for first-degree felony murder after the victim, identified as Christian Lee, 32, was found dead in a room at the Springhill Suites near 600 South and 300 West.
According to warrants issued for their arrest, Chee and Aguilar met with Lee and another woman at the hotel to sell marijuana. During the alleged drug deal, Aguilar allegedly shot and killed Lee after he tried to grab at his gun.
MORE | Shootings
Investigators said they found Lee dead in the room upon arrival, as well as a single shell casing on the floor and a small amount of marijuana on the television stand.
Advertisement
The woman told investigators she had met Chee on a dating app and that he agreed to come to the hotel to sell her marijuana. She had been hanging out with him in the room, which Lee rented for her to use, when Lee asked them to leave. Lee was then shot and killed following a brief confrontation.
Chee and Aguilar allegedly fled the scene in a 2013 Toyota Camry with a Texas license plate that was later found outside of Rock Springs, Wyoming just a few hours later.
The two men were taken into custody and detained at the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office.
