County population down 5.1%

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Weston County and 13 other counties across the state experienced a decrease in population between 2010 and 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau breakdown that was released last month. 
The loss of 5.1% of the county’s population, or 371 people, leaves Weston County as the third-smallest county in the state. Currently, the county has a reported 6,838 people, while Hot Springs has 4,621 and Niobrara has 2,467, according to the census website. 
According to worldpopulationreview.com, both Upton and Newcastle experienced a decline in population between 2010 and 2020. 
“With a 2020 population of 3,403, it (Newcastle) is the 20th largest city in Wyoming and the 5,842nd largest city in the United States,” the website says. “Newcastle is currently growing at a rate of 0.09% annually, but its population has decreased by 3.65% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 3,532 in 2010.”
Upton, on the other hand, had a population of 1,054 in 2020, making it the 44th largest city in the state and the 10,088th in the nation, according to worldpopulationreview.com. 
“Upton is currently declining at a rate of 0.09% annually, and its population has declined by 4.18% since the most recent census, which showed a population of 1,100 in 2010,” the website says. 
Wyoming as a whole experienced a population growth of 2.3%, significantly lower than the 7.4% seen nationally, according to census data. Sen. Ogden Driskill (R-Devils Tower) said this growth was seen in urban areas, similar to the rest of the country, while rural areas shrank. 
Across the state, three counties grew by over 2,000 people. Laramie County’s population increased by 8,774, Natrona County added 4,505 people, and Teton County’s population increased by 2,037. 
Other counties that experienced a significant increase in population are Lincoln County, gaining 1,475 people; Park County, with a population increase of 1,419; and Sheridan County, with an increase of 1,805. 
The biggest population losses in the state were in Sweetwater County, with a decline of 1,534 people; Sublette County, which lost 1,519 people; and Carbon County, which declined by 1,348 individuals. 
The U.S. has continued to count the population across the nation every 10 years since 1790, as mandated by the Constitution, according to the Wyoming Administrations and Information. Wyoming participated in its first census in 1870. 
The importance of the census, the Wyoming Administration and Information website says, lies in the shaping of many aspects of the communities across the state. 
“The decennial population county is utilized for redistricting at the national and state level. Census data guides the allocation of federal funding to state, local and tribal governments,” the website says. “Certain state revenue distributions are distributed based upon the decennial census count. Communities use the information for development and planning for public services, roads, schools, health care and new businesses.” 
According to City Clerk-Treasurer Greg James, the loss experienced in Newcastle should have minimal to no real impact on the city or its finances.