Wyoming Summary

Below you will find county-by-county maps and tables that illustrate the data in this study.

Click on chart for a larger version below.

Our research found that:

• Of the 11 western states, Wyoming has the ninth largest area of undeveloped, forested private land bordering fire-prone public lands, and ranks last (11th) among western states in the amount of forested land where homes have already been built next to public lands.
• Wyoming has over 400 square miles of forested private land that borders public lands, of which 96 percent has not yet been developed.
• Housing in Wyoming's wildland urban interface consumes a whopping 7.6 acres per person, compared to the 0.5 acres per person average on other western private lands. These are larger residential lots than in any other western state's wildland urban interface.
• Wyoming has 4,604 residences in its wildland urban interface, of which 44 percent are seasonal homes or cabins.
• Wyoming ranks eleventh (last) among western states in the number of homes built in forested areas next to public wildlands, and first in the percentage of those homes that are only seasonally occupied.

Overall, Wyoming has less developed wildland urban interface than most western states. The areas of highest existing risk from wildfire (number of square miles of the wildland urban interface with homes now) mainly occur within Park, Teton and northern Lincoln Counties. Combined, these three counties have more than 3,000 homes spread across 10 miles of wildland urban interface. Throughout Wyoming there remains potential for future home construction in more than 400 square miles of undeveloped, forested private lands adjacent to fire-prone public lands. Building homes in these high-risk areas would put lives and property in the path of wildfires.

Existing Risk Map - Click to Zoom
Yellow areas on the map illustrate existing development in fire-prone areas (forested areas adjacent public lands that have been developed); all other development is shown in red; public lands are shown in green.

Wyoming Summary Statistics
West-Wide		3,290.0	20,350.1	14.0%	915,071	21.0%
Wyoming		17.8	416.3	4.1%	4,604	44.0%
Top 10 Counties in Wyoming Ranked by Existing Risk Counties are ranked by the number of square miles of developed land in the wildland interface
Teton County	Wyoming	5.6	29.9	16.0%	2,060	23.0%
Lincoln County	Wyoming	2.9	13.5	18.0%	684	21.0%
Albany County	Wyoming	1.8	30.3	6.0%	362	88.0%
Sheridan County	Wyoming	1.7	13.9	11.0%	336	70.0%
Carbon County	Wyoming	1.5	52.2	3.0%	164	95.0%
Park County	Wyoming	1.5	28.7	5.0%	385	58.0%
Natrona County	Wyoming	0.9	8.7	9.0%	230	76.0%
Sublette County	Wyoming	0.5	16.9	3.0%	71	76.0%
Fremont County	Wyoming	0.4	23.8	1.0%	69	81.0%
Crook County	Wyoming	0.3	59.6	1.0%	54	22.0%
Top 10 Counties in Wyoming Ranked by Potential Risk Counties are ranked by the number of square miles of undeveloped land in the wildland interface.
Crook County	Wyoming	0.3	59.6	1.0%	54	22.0%
Carbon County	Wyoming	1.5	52.2	3.0%	164	95.0%
Converse County	Wyoming	0.3	34.9	1.0%	66	79.0%
Albany County	Wyoming	1.8	30.3	6.0%	362	88.0%
Teton County	Wyoming	5.6	29.9	16.0%	2,060	23.0%
Johnson County	Wyoming	0.3	28.7	1.0%	88	99.0%
Park County	Wyoming	1.5	28.7	5.0%	385	58.0%
Fremont County	Wyoming	0.4	23.8	1.0%	69	81.0%
Uinta County	Wyoming	0.0	23.8	0.0%	14	71.0%
Sublette County	Wyoming	0.5	16.9	3.0%	71	76.0%

Click on column headers to see all data in the West sorted by that column.

West | Arizona | California | Colorado | Idaho | Montana | New Mexico | Nevada | Oregon | Utah | Washington | Wyoming

Headwaters Economics
Mail: P.O. Box 7059, Bozeman MT 59771
Deliveries: 810 N. Wallace Avenue, Suite B, Bozeman MT 59715
Ray Rasker Ph.D. 406.570.7044 | Ben Alexander 406.599.7423 | Patty Gude 406.599.7425 | Chris Mehl 406.570.8937
Mark Haggerty 406.570.5626 | Julia Haggerty Ph.D. 406.600.1766 | Jeff van den Noort 406.599.1653

Banner photo is by Ray Rasker.

© 2007 Headwaters Economics Inc. all rights reserved. No part of this work may be copied or reproduced without prior consent.