Wyoming 2010 Census Figures (Gillette, Sheridan: sale, house, to buy)

[TNT25]

Wyoming Census: Steep growth in energy boom areas (http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_6cba2fdb-7c71-5b06-9379-ad95e5e0822e.html - broken link)

For your viewing and discussing pleasure. Highlights include astronomical growth in counties like Campbell, Sublette, and Johnson. Also population declines in Hot Springs and Platte Counties.

[WhiteWeasel]

How do you Wyoming residents feel about the high rates of growth?

I realize some people prefer the "better lifestyles" or "better economies" which usually come from population growth. However, I personally don't like to see these high boosts in population. Wyoming is one of the few places left that isn't highly developed, and I'd rather see it kept that way. Population growth in regions such as the east coast doesn't bother me as much since that land has already been developed, privatized, and intertwined with endless roads. I'd hate to see Wyoming fall in the same hole. Anyways, I'm curious on the thoughts from actual residents.

[WyoNewk]

I live in Gillette, the city and county with Wyoming's highest growth rate (nearly 50% in the past decade). I've been here for 40 years and have seen both city and county more than triple in size.

I have mixed feelings about the growth. As a business owner for most of that time, I appreciate the growth. In the first decade my 60-year-old company grew 5-fold and I earned **almost** enough that I could have retired.

I only moved to Gillette for the business. On my first visit I turned down the job offer. I just didn't like Gillette and my wife hated it. It was ugly. Many of the streets were still gravel without curbs, the water was horrible, medical facilities left much to be desired, and shopping, dining and entertainment were typical of a town of 5,000 (even though the city was around 7,500 at the time.) I moved here planning to stay 4-5 years and get out with enough money to buy a similar business in a town I liked.

But the growth did a lot to change how I felt about the town besides the income potential. Streets were soon paved with curbs and gutters, and water quality was greatly improved with a 45-mile pipeline and new water treatment plant. Medical facilities now rival those of any Wyoming city, and shopping, dining and entertainment aren't bad at all. Schools are top notch including a beautiful new community college campus, and we have a new county recreation center that probably tops anything in a 5 state region. We host several major national events each year at our multi-event center. Parks are numerous and beautiful. We have walking/biking trails winding throughout the city.

I sold the business that brought me here after 10 years and planned to purchase a similar business in a beautiful Colorado mountain community. After the sale was completed, my wife refused to move. She didn't want to give up the schools, etc., etc. Thirty years later I'm now of retirement age but still linger, because I simply can't find a place where I'd rather be. We've been looking for the past few years and will probably go somewhere in the next few, but it's not easy to find a community that offers as much as this one. When U.S. Senator Mike Enzi was mayor of Gillette in the 70s, he said his vision for the town was that it be seen as an oasis on the prairie. I think his vision has been reached. It's become a great community.

The energy boom has allowed for better schools and facilities in every corner of the state and allowed Wyoming's young people to get higher education and good jobs without moving away.


But there's a downside. Back in the 70s I liked to hop in my old 4x4 Scout and meander around the trails in the oil patch. Wildlife was abundant and I could drive all afternoon across a ranch or two and seldom see a home, a car or any people. If you saw ranchers they were welcoming, as they didn't see many people either, and they weren't concerned with the slight amount of damage my tires might do to their trails.

Now homes dot the landscape. An area once comprised of huge ranches of 10K to 100K acres and larger, 10- and 40-acre "ranchettes" now spoil the view, and residents of those abodes now kick up dust on every backroad as they rush to and from work. Even the pristine Bighorn Mountains now suffer from ATVers blasting down the dirt trails scaring wildlife back into the deeper woods. It's just not the same.

So growth has been both a blessing and a curse. It all depends on the person and how it's looked at.

[jody_wy]

and those subdivision and 40 acre lot cost us all money, UW did a study land in Ag for every dollar in property taxes required something like 80 cents in services, wer as a house built out of town on subdivied acres the tax base goes up but for evry $1 in taxes it over $2 in services....but towns make it hard to develop next too them too.

[ElkHunter]

The paper come out today and said that Sheridan County grew by 9.6%. That kind of surprised me as I thought it was a great deal more then that. The town of Sheridan really hasn't grown, but subdivisions seem to be the "In" place to live.

[georgiainwyo]

Originally Posted by WyoNewk

I live in Gillette, the city and county with Wyoming's highest growth rate (nearly 50% in the past decade). I've been here for 40 years and have seen both city and county more than triple in size.

I have mixed feelings about the growth. As a business owner for most of that time, I appreciate the growth. In the first decade my 60-year-old company grew 5-fold and I earned **almost** enough that I could have retired.

I only moved to Gillette for the business. On my first visit I turned down the job offer. I just didn't like Gillette and my wife hated it. It was ugly. Many of the streets were still gravel without curbs, the water was horrible, medical facilities left much to be desired, and shopping, dining and entertainment were typical of a town of 5,000 (even though the city was around 7,500 at the time.) I moved here planning to stay 4-5 years and get out with enough money to buy a similar business in a town I liked.

But the growth did a lot to change how I felt about the town besides the income potential. Streets were soon paved with curbs and gutters, and water quality was greatly improved with a 45-mile pipeline and new water treatment plant. Medical facilities now rival those of any Wyoming city, and shopping, dining and entertainment aren't bad at all. Schools are top notch including a beautiful new community college campus, and we have a new county recreation center that probably tops anything in a 5 state region. We host several major national events each year at our multi-event center. Parks are numerous and beautiful. We have walking/biking trails winding throughout the city.

I sold the business that brought me here after 10 years and planned to purchase a similar business in a beautiful Colorado mountain community. After the sale was completed, my wife refused to move. She didn't want to give up the schools, etc., etc. Thirty years later I'm now of retirement age but still linger, because I simply can't find a place where I'd rather be. We've been looking for the past few years and will probably go somewhere in the next few, but it's not easy to find a community that offers as much as this one. When U.S. Senator Mike Enzi was mayor of Gillette in the 70s, he said his vision for the town was that it be seen as an oasis on the prairie. I think his vision has been reached. It's become a great community.

The energy boom has allowed for better schools and facilities in every corner of the state and allowed Wyoming's young people to get higher education and good jobs without moving away.


But there's a downside. Back in the 70s I liked to hop in my old 4x4 Scout and meander around the trails in the oil patch. Wildlife was abundant and I could drive all afternoon across a ranch or two and seldom see a home, a car or any people. If you saw ranchers they were welcoming, as they didn't see many people either, and they weren't concerned with the slight amount of damage my tires might do to their trails.

Now homes dot the landscape. An area once comprised of huge ranches of 10K to 100K acres and larger, 10- and 40-acre "ranchettes" now spoil the view, and residents of those abodes now kick up dust on every backroad as they rush to and from work. Even the pristine Bighorn Mountains now suffer from ATVers blasting down the dirt trails scaring wildlife back into the deeper woods. It's just not the same.

So growth has been both a blessing and a curse. It all depends on the person and how it's looked at.

Well said, WyoNewk. Now if we could just draw some more businesses into Gillette life would be grand!

[ImAHobbit]

Holy Crap!
I looked at the Trib article and Crook County isn't even on there! I guess I know where we rate, Hot Springs and Niobrara aren't either. I wonder what the deal is...

[TNT25]

If you look at the discussion comments on the story, you'll notice that I inquired about this. The editor, Chad Baldwin, kindly responded with those figures. But still, that's real embarassing that they missed 3 Wyoming counties!

[ImAHobbit]

especially the BEST one, Crook County