Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The number of cattle and calves in Wyoming in 2012 was estimated at just under 1.4 milli-
on.
Wyoming's high plains and mountain meadows are recognized for their role in produ-
cing high-quality sheep. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Wyom-
ing ranks second in the country in stock sheep and the lamb crop, and second in wool pro-
duction. Wyoming's wool is among the most desirable in the world. The largest crop pro-
duced in Wyoming is hay, followed by sugar beets, barley, corn, wheat, and dry beans. Dry-
land winter wheat is grown primarily in the eastern part of the state. Other more specialized
commodities in the state include oats, hogs, bison, and sunflowers.
More than 8.6 million people visited Wyoming in 2012, a 4 percent increase over the
previous year. These visitors contributed more than $3.1 billion to the state's economy
through tourism, an industry that supports more than 30,500 jobs and generates more than
$128 million in taxes annually. Much of the tourism industry is based around Yellowstone
and Grand Teton National Parks. More than 3.4 million people visited Yellowstone in 2012,
the second-highest visitation on record after 2010. Excellent skiing gives the Jackson Hole
economy a boost each winter, with more than 502,000 skiers visiting during the 2012-2013
ski season, an all-time record for the community. In a booming tourist economy, it's natural
for the service industry to be a large sector of the economy, and much of the state's growth
over the years can be attributed to it.
The University of Wyoming is the largest government employer in the state, followed
by the F.E. Warren Air Force Base and the State of Wyoming. The largest private employers
are Rio Tinto Energy American, Powder River Coal Co., Thunder Basin Coal Co., and
Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. In 2012, Wyoming's per capita personal income was
$48,670, well above the national average, in large part due to the energy booms across the
state. A vast departure from Montana, whose per capita income ranked 38th in the country
in 2010, Wyoming ranked 6th in the United States in the same year. Wyoming's unemploy-
ment rate is usually far lower than the national average, and in 2012 it was 5.4 percent com-
pared to 8 percent nationally.
WIND POWER: WYOMING'S NEXT BOOM?
Having prospered from the boom and then endured the bust of energy production
cycles countless times over the last century or more, Wyoming is at the forefront of
a new boom, this one based on what has for eons been at the center of the state's fre-
