will wyoming surpass vermont in population?

[Bert_from_back_East]

My prediction has always been CA --> CO --> WY.

[mvpsharky]

Originally Posted by murksiderock

Vermont can be kinda depressing. Take New Hampshire 10/10 if you're heading that way...

Vermont is gorgeous though

[Turnerbro]

Yes, Cheyene will likely have a boom soon.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by jas75

I don't think there would be any significant daily commuting across the state line from WY to CO, but some retirees, smaller businesses and home based workers looking for a lower cost environment could migrate across the border over the long term. Regardless, this thread is concerning the possibility of Wyoming surpassing Vermont in population - which is not a very difficult goal to achieve, given the states are already pretty close in population and Vermont has little potential for much growth. While 2017 wasn't such a year, in certain years within the past decade Wyoming has indeed demonstrated that it can grow significantly.

Well according to that article, Wyoming also lost population in 2016 too.

I agree that Vermont is stagnant (also lost population in 2016), but I think that with overall populations this low and population growth either being stagnant (Vermont) or volatile (Wyoming), it'll be a while before you see that gap closed. Cheyenne and Burlington have both grown significantly over the past 20 years. I'd argue that Burlington might have the potential for greater growth given the presence of a major university and a few smaller ones in town. It's a fairly livable city and a very popular one to visit as well.

I tend to agree that Cheyenne isn't well poised to see spillover from the Denver Area any time soon. But I'd also point out that Burlington is actually closer to Montreal than Cheyenne is to Denver (though still not a realistic commute). Parts of Northern VT are only an hour, hour and 10 minutes from Montreal. But I still don't see them getting spillover from Montreal.

To be honest, the closest area of either Wyoming or Vermont to any major economic region is Southern Vermont to Hartford/Springfield (the "Knowledge Corridor"). It's actually commutable right now from Brattleboro to Springfield and beyond. And while Hartford/Springfield is certainly no Denver or Montreal, It's also a region on the rebound economically, being encroached upon by metro Boston and New York, and one that's slated for some major rail upgrades in the next decade or so. So if any part of Wyoming or Vermont is going to benefit from the growth of larger nearby urban areas, my money is on Southern Vermont (Brattleboro area) feeding a bit off of Springfield/Hartford. Especially for people working in that area looking to get a piece of Vermont's natural beauty and charm. However, it's not likely to happen right now since neither Springfield or Hartford are killing it economically. The Bennington VT Area is also only 40 miles from Albany NY. That's another commutable distance. Point is, Vermont is more likely to benefit from commuters across state lines than Wyoming is.

[NDak15]

My experience as a transplant in Wyoming and being around other transplants is that people from out of state don't stay long. It's quite unfriendly.

I don't see its population getting very big unless people reproduce more.

[pnwguy2]

Vermont will grow faster, (but that is not statistically significant.) Both States are in "slow growth" mode right now and neither will boom anytime soon. Wyoming is suffering from low gas and oil prices. Vermont will grow slightly faster due to this. Both States are pretty small in total population, but Wyoming is more boom and bust, thus Vermont has the upperhand right now. However slightly.

[cloudcrash619]

I agree that Vermont has the edge with this. I've never been to Vermont, but I'd love to visit one day. On the other hand, I've been to Wyoming. It can be harsh and unforgiving. The people can be some of the nicest, but also some of the coldest people you've ever met.