Labor Market Gaps Across Wyoming's Counties

In Teton County, Wyoming, the median household income reaches $112,681, placing it at the top of Wyoming's 23 counties for household income. In Niobrara County, Wyoming, that figure falls to $48,987, a gap of $63,694 separating the state's highest and lowest earners. Labor force participation, income, and commute times together reveal a state with distinct geographic fault lines.

Labor Force Participation Across Wyoming

The share of adults actively working or seeking work varies considerably across Wyoming's counties. The Wyoming county median stands at 62.8%, compared to a national county median of 58.4%. The counties with the highest labor force participation rates are:

1. Teton County, Wyoming: 77.5% in the civilian labor force
2. Campbell County, Wyoming: 70.3% in the civilian labor force
3. Albany County, Wyoming: 68.2% in the civilian labor force

At the other end of the spectrum, Niobrara County, Wyoming, Platte County, Wyoming, and Goshen County, Wyoming report the lowest labor force participation rates, at 52.2%, 54.3%, and 55.5% respectively. Counties with older populations and limited local industry consistently cluster at the bottom of this ranking.

Income Disparities by County

Median household income in Wyoming ranges from $48,987 in Niobrara County, Wyoming to $112,681 in Teton County, Wyoming. The Wyoming county median of $70,855 sits above the national county median of $63,162. The three highest-income counties are:

1. Teton County, Wyoming: $112,681 median household income
2. Campbell County, Wyoming: $95,253
3. Weston County, Wyoming: $87,545

These income figures largely reflect differences in industrial mix. Energy-producing counties such as Campbell County report some of the highest incomes, while rural agricultural counties tend to cluster in the lower income brackets.

Commute Times and Workforce Mobility

Mean commute times reveal where workers must travel farthest to reach employment. Weston County, Wyoming reports the longest average commute in Wyoming at 26.6 min, followed by Lincoln County, Wyoming at 24.7 min and Converse County, Wyoming at 24.1 min. The Wyoming county median commute of 17.9 min compares to a national county median of 24.2 min. Long commutes often signal that workers live in lower-cost rural areas while commuting to employment centers in adjacent counties.

Health Insurance Coverage and the Labor Market

Access to employer-sponsored health insurance is tied closely to the types of jobs available in a county. In Wyoming, the counties with the highest share of uninsured residents under age 65 are Platte County, Wyoming at 30.1%, Fremont County, Wyoming at 22.9%, and Weston County, Wyoming at 19.1%. Counties with large agricultural workforces or high rates of self-employment typically show elevated uninsured rates, since seasonal and contract work rarely provides coverage. The Wyoming county median uninsured rate stands at 13.7%.

Female Labor Force Participation

Female labor force participation tells its own story. Teton County, Wyoming leads Wyoming with 72.1% of women in the civilian labor force, while Niobrara County, Wyoming reports the lowest female participation at 44.6%. Across Wyoming's counties, the median female participation rate is 58.5%. Where female participation trails total participation by a wide margin, it often reflects limited access to child care, concentration in part-time work, or industry structures dominated by male-skewing occupations.

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates