Albany County, Wyoming

Albany County (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell) is a county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 37,066.<ref name=QF>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Laramie,<ref name="naco">Template:Cite web</ref> the site of the University of Wyoming. Its southern border lies on the northern Colorado state line. Albany County comprises the Laramie, WY Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is the fifth-most populous county in Wyoming.

History

Albany County was organized in 1868 of territory annexed from Laramie County in Dakota Territory, which at the time had jurisdiction over part of modern-day Wyoming.<ref>Template:Google books</ref> It became a county in Wyoming Territory when its government was formally organized on May 19, 1869.<ref name=chronology>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Charles D. Bradley, a member of the legislature of the Dakota Territory named the county for Albany, New York, the capital of his native state.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1875, the Wyoming Territorial legislature authorized portions of Albany County to be annexed to build Crook and Johnson counties, and in 1888 land was taken from Albany County for the creation of Converse County. Further adjustments were made to the county's boundary in 1911 and 1955.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.8%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Adjacent counties

• Converse County – north
• Platte County – northeast
• Laramie County – east
• Larimer County, Colorado – south
• Jackson County, Colorado – southwest
• Carbon County – west
• Natrona County – northwest

Transit

• University of Wyoming Transit System (Roundup)
• Greyhound Lines

Major highways

• File:I-80.svg Interstate 80
• Template:Jct
• File:US 30.svg U.S. Highway 30
• File:US 287.svg U.S. Highway 287
• File:WY-10.svg Wyoming Highway 10
• File:WY-11.svg Wyoming Highway 11
• File:WY-12.svg Wyoming Highway 12
• File:WY-13.svg Wyoming Highway 13
• File:WY-34.svg Wyoming Highway 34
• File:WY-130.svg Wyoming Highway 130
• File:WY-210.svg Wyoming Highway 210
• File:WY-230.svg Wyoming Highway 230

National protected areas

• Bamforth National Wildlife Refuge
• Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge
• Medicine Bow National Forest (part)
• Mortenson Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics

File:Wy albany morton pass1.jpg

Morton Pass (SR34)

2000 census

At the 2000 United States census,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> there were 32,014 people, 13,269 households and 7,006 families in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 15,215 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 91.32% White, 1.11% Black or African American, 0.95% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.65% from other races, and 2.22% from two or more races. 7.49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.4% were of German, 11.1% English, 10.2% Irish and 6.1% American ancestry.

There were 13,269 households, of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.2% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.84.

The county population contained 18.4% of the population under the age of 18, 28.2% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.4 males.

The median household income was $28,790 and the median family income was $44,334. Males had a median income of $31,087 compared with $22,061 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,706. About 10.8% of families and 21.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under the age of 18 and 8.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 36,299 people, 15,691 households, and 7,430 families in the county.<ref name=DC>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 17,939 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 90.1% white, 2.8% Asian, 1.2% black or African American, 0.7% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.4% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.8% of the population.<ref name=DC/> In terms of ancestry, 31.2% were German, 15.3% were Irish, 12.5% were English, and 4.4% were American.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Of the 15,691 households, 21.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 52.6% were non-families, and 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age was 26.8 years.<ref name=DC/>

The median income for a household in the county was $42,890 and the median income for a family was $70,054. Males had a median income of $43,484 versus $33,512 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,622. About 7.2% of families and 21.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Communities

File:LINCOLN MONUMENT, ALBANY COUNTY.jpg

Lincoln Monument near Laramie

City

• Laramie (county seat)

Town

• Rock River

Unincorporated communities

• Barrett
• Binford
• Bosler
• Bosler Junction
• Buford
• Cooper Lake
• Dale Creek
• Deerwood
• Garrett
• Gramm
• Harmony
• Harper
• Hatton
• Hermosa
• Keystone
• Little Medicine
• Lookout
• Millbrook
• Mountain Home
• New Jelm
• PhinDeli
• Red Buttes
• Sherman
• The Buttes
• Tie Siding
• Toltec
• Wyocolo

Census-designated places

• Albany
• Centennial
• Fox Park
• Woods Landing-Jelm

Politics

While Wyoming as a whole tends to be solidly Republican, Albany County is a swing county. It is one of only thirteen counties to have voted for Barack Obama in 2008, Mitt Romney in 2012, Donald Trump in 2016, and Joe Biden in 2020.Template:Efn It is also a national bellwether, only failing to back the nationwide winner on four occasions in its history (1892, 1960, 1976, and 2012).

Since the 1990s, Albany County has been one of the few competitive counties in heavily Republican Wyoming. Laramie, home of the University of Wyoming, is solidly Democratic, while the Laramie suburbs and the county's rural precincts are equally solidly Republican. Laramie accounts for roughly half of the county's population, with the Laramie suburbs and the rural precincts of the county forming the other approximate half. Thus, swing voters typically determine the county's winner.

Education

There is one school district in Albany County: Albany County School District 1.<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

See also

• Albany County Sheriff's Office (Wyoming)
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Albany County, Wyoming
• Mortenson Lake National Wildlife Refuge, the last home of the Wyoming toad, located in southern Albany County
• Wyoming
  • List of cities and towns in Wyoming
  • List of counties in Wyoming
  • Wyoming statistical areas