The Town of Afton showed a population increase of 0.4 percent, while Star Valley Ranch showed a 0.2 percent decline in a Wyoming Census update released through the state’s Economic Analysis Division in May.

That report showed Afton’s population at 2,280 and Star Valley Ranch 2,041.

Kemmerer was down by 1.1 percent.

Alpine, Thayne Cokeville, Diamondville and LaBarge, with populations under 2,000, were not listed as part of the report.

Alpine continues to expand through annexation, as noted in earlier SVI Media reports.

The Snake River Junction annexation petition has passed Third and final reading.

The annexation process for the 58.74 acres was introduced in January and moved through the approval process.

The project, proposed for an area south of U.S. 26/89 near the Snake River Canyon, includes a new lodge and 27 homes.

In addition, an adjustment to the annexation at the April meeting included the addition of the Flying Saddle residential properties.

A Lincoln County Commission approved a malt beverage license for the Alpine Valley RV Resort, in the same area, was noted as part of the annexation procedures.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly half of the 31 large cities and towns (those with a population of more than 2,000 people) in Wyoming added residents between July 1, 2023 and July 1, 2024.

These new estimates provide a look at how the population has changed in each of Wyoming’s incorporated communities since the 2020 Census.

For cities and towns with a population over 2,000, Evansville demonstrated the fastest annual growth (2.1%), followed by Laramie (1.6%) and Mills (1.6%). Laramie (516), Cheyenne (417), Gillette (323) and Sheridan (230) showed the largest numerical addition from 2023 to 2024.

Three cities or towns — Pinedale (-34), Wheatland (-51) and Kemmerer (-26) — experienced annual population declines of more than 1%.

Evanston is the only place that lost more than 100 residents during the year.

As of July 1, 2024, 68.6%, or 403,303 people in Wyoming, lived in incorporated places. Nearly half (49.2%) of the state’s residents lived in 11 cities and towns with a population of more than 10,000. Wyoming’s total population grew 2,551, or 0.4%, in 2024, and this growth rate was slightly slower than the combined population change for these 11 larger cities.

“In the past couple of years, Wyoming’s large cities have mostly reversed the population declines experienced in 2021 and 2022 due to COVID-19,” noted Wenlin Liu, chief economist with the state of Wyoming’s Economic Analysis Division. “Many individuals with telework capabilities opted to move to rural and lower cost areas during the pandemic.”

The full census report can be viewed online at tinyurl.com/wyo-population.