What is the Ethnic Composition of Wyoming?
The state of Wyoming is situated in the western parts of the United States. Wyoming is the tenth largest American state occupying an area of about 97,914 sq miles. Wyoming is the least populous American state with over 577,737 residents. It is second-most sparsely populated right after Alaska with a population density of about 5.97 individuals per square miles. Non-Hispanic whites make up the largest portion of the population.
Demographics
According to the 1870 US Census, Wyoming had a population of about 9,118 people. The region’s population grew by 128% from 1870 to 1880 to reach 20,789 people. Wyoming was home to over 62,555 Americans by the time they were admitted into the Union in 1890. The population of Wyoming grew by 3.99% from 2010 (563,626) to 2015 (586,107). The growth included a natural increase of 12,165 individuals (33,704 births minus 21,539 deaths) and net migration of 4,035 people. In 2004, over 2.2% of the residents of Wyoming were foreign-born. Wyoming is one of the two American states with a smaller population than the capital of the United States. The capital and most populous city in Wyoming is Cheyenne with over 63,624 people.
Ethnic Composition
According to the US Census Bureau, the ethnic composition of Wyoming in 2010 was 90.7% white, 2.4% Alaska natives and American Indians, 0.8% African Americans, and 0.8% Asian Americans among others. Ethnically, 91.1% of the residents were non-Hispanic white, while 8.9% were Hispanic. Over 85.9% of the non-Hispanics are non-Hispanic whites. The percentage of whites in Wyoming is estimated to have increased from 90.7% in 2010 to 92.7% in 2014. Over 24.9% of the children below the age of one in Wyoming were minorities in 2011. The biggest ancestry groups in this state in 2000 were Swedish (3.5%), Norwegians(4.3%), Irish (13.3%), English (15%), and German (26%).
Languages
93.39% of the residents of Wyoming over 5 years old used English as their first language in 2010. Other languages used in Wyoming include French, German, Spanish, Greek, Tagalog, Russian, and Algonquian. According to the American Community Survey, 6.2% of the residents over 5years old spoke a non-English language at home in 2007.
Religions
According to the Gallup poll of 2013, 49% of the residents of Wyoming were Protestants, 9% Latter-day Saints, and 18% Catholics. Some of the largest denominations in Wyoming listed by the 2010 ARDA report are Southern-Baptist Convention (15,812 adherents), Mormons (62,804 adherents), and Catholics (61,222 adherents). The 2010 ARDA report also counted 36,539 Mainline Protestants, 785 Eastern-Orthodox adherents, 59,247 Evangelical Protestants, and 281 Black Protestants. 26% of the residents of Wyoming do not associate themselves with any religious group.
