Washakie County is located in north-central Wyoming, extending from the Bighorn Basin eastward toward the western foothills of the Bighorn Mountains. Established in 1911 and named for Chief Washakie of the Eastern Shoshone, it developed around irrigated agriculture and ranching made possible by the region’s river valleys. The county is small in population, with roughly 8,000 residents, and remains predominantly rural. Worland, the county seat and largest community, functions as the primary service and employment center. The local economy includes farming and livestock production, food processing, and public-sector employment, alongside energy-related activity in the broader basin. Landscapes range from open basin shrublands and badlands to mountain-front terrain, supporting outdoor recreation and wildlife. Community life reflects a small-town character shaped by agricultural traditions and regional Native and frontier history.

Washakie County Local Demographic Profile

Washakie County is located in north-central Wyoming, anchored by the City of Worland and bordering the Bighorn Basin region. The county serves as a regional center for agriculture and related services within this part of the state.

Population Size

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts profile for Washakie County, Wyoming, the county’s estimated population (2023) and decennial census counts (e.g., 2020) are published on the county’s QuickFacts table. The same source provides the county’s annual population estimate series and comparative context within Wyoming.

Age & Gender

Age and sex structure for Washakie County is reported by the U.S. Census Bureau through:

Racial & Ethnic Composition

The U.S. Census Bureau publishes county-level race and Hispanic/Latino ethnicity measures for Washakie County in:

  • The QuickFacts Race and Hispanic Origin sections, which provide high-level percentages for major race categories and Hispanic/Latino origin.
  • More detailed race/ethnicity cross-tabulations (including “Two or More Races” and detailed Hispanic origin) through data.census.gov (ACS and decennial census tables).

Household & Housing Data

Household and housing characteristics (including households, average household size, owner-occupied housing rate, housing units, and selected housing value/tenure measures) are available from:

  • The QuickFacts Housing and Households sections, which summarize core household and housing indicators.
  • Expanded housing tables (tenure, vacancy, unit types, year structure built, and housing costs) through data.census.gov for Washakie County, WY (ACS 5-year county estimates are the standard source for small-area housing detail).

Local Government Reference

For local government and planning resources, visit the Washakie County official website.

Email Usage

Washakie County’s large land area, rural settlement pattern, and mountainous terrain contribute to longer network buildouts and uneven service quality, shaping reliance on email and other low-bandwidth communication.

Direct, county-level email-use statistics are not routinely published; broadband and device access serve as proxies for likely email access. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS) data portal, key indicators include household broadband subscription rates and computer ownership/availability, which track the practical ability to use webmail and authenticated online services. The county’s age structure also affects adoption: older populations generally show lower rates of frequent digital communication than prime working-age groups, making age distribution an important contextual factor in interpreting proxy access measures (age profiles are available via the same ACS tables). Gender distribution is available in ACS but is typically a weaker predictor of email adoption than age and access.

Connectivity limitations in Washakie County commonly reflect rural last-mile costs and topographic constraints; local context appears in planning and service information from Washakie County government.

Mobile Phone Usage

Washakie County is in north-central Wyoming, with Worland as the county seat. The county is predominantly rural, with wide agricultural areas along the Bighorn River Basin and surrounding badlands and foothill terrain that can create localized line-of-sight and backhaul challenges for wireless networks. Low population density and long distances between settlements tend to shape both mobile network economics (coverage buildout) and household adoption patterns.

Data scope and limitations (county-level vs state-level)

County-specific measures of mobile device ownership and mobile internet use are limited in standard public datasets. The U.S. Census Bureau commonly reports “computer” and “internet subscription” categories at geographies such as state, county, and tract, but does not consistently publish “smartphone vs feature phone” ownership at the county level in widely used tables. As a result, this overview separates:

  • Network availability (supply): modeled coverage and provider-reported service areas.
  • Adoption and usage (demand): household subscriptions and internet access measures, where available, generally not isolating mobile-only use at the county level.

Primary references include the U.S. Census Bureau and the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection (BDC) program; both should be treated as authoritative but subject to known limitations (e.g., modeled coverage, reporting granularity). See the U.S. Census Bureau’s portal at Census.gov and FCC broadband mapping at FCC National Broadband Map.

County context affecting mobile connectivity

  • Rural settlement pattern: Service demand is concentrated in Worland and smaller communities, with large areas of sparsely populated land between them. Rural cell sites often cover larger geographic areas per tower, which can reduce capacity and indoor coverage compared with denser urban deployments.
  • Terrain and vegetation: Basin-and-foothill topography can create signal shadowing; low-lying areas and bends in river valleys can produce pockets of weaker reception depending on tower placement.
  • Transportation corridors: Coverage and network investment frequently track highways and primary roads, while remote areas may have reduced reliability and throughput.

Network availability (coverage): 4G/5G and provider-reported service

Source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC), displayed through the FCC National Broadband Map.

  • 4G LTE availability: In most Wyoming counties, including rural counties, LTE coverage is typically more extensive than 5G because it uses a longer-established network footprint and spectrum suited for broader-area coverage. County-specific LTE availability should be verified directly on the FCC map by filtering to Washakie County and selecting “Mobile Broadband” coverage layers.
  • 5G availability: 5G in rural Wyoming is generally more limited and uneven than LTE, with service often concentrated around towns and major routes. The FCC map provides provider-by-provider 5G reporting; the extent of 5G within Washakie County varies by carrier and is not uniform across the county.
  • Important distinction about “availability”: FCC mobile coverage layers represent provider-reported service areas based on standardized propagation modeling and service parameters. They indicate where providers claim service is available outdoors and/or in-vehicle, not guaranteed indoor performance or consistent speeds.

Additional network-related references

Household adoption (subscriptions and access): what can be measured

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey), accessed through data.census.gov.

County-level adoption is commonly represented by:

  • Households with an internet subscription (any type).
  • Types of internet subscription (often including categories such as cellular data plan, cable, DSL, fiber, satellite, and other services in ACS tables, depending on the year and table).
  • Households with a computer (broad device category that does not isolate smartphones).

Key limitations:

  • ACS “internet subscription” measures are household-level and do not directly report the quality of service (speed, latency, consistency).
  • “Cellular data plan” in ACS context reflects a type of household internet subscription but does not fully capture individual-level mobile usage (e.g., prepaid phone-only usage without a reported household subscription context).
  • County-level margins of error can be significant in low-population counties, affecting precision.

For Washakie County, ACS tables on data.census.gov provide the most consistent way to distinguish adoption (subscription types) from availability (FCC coverage). This is the recommended path for county-specific figures because statewide smartphone ownership statistics do not reliably disaggregate to the county level in standard public releases.

Mobile internet usage patterns: typical rural characteristics and measurable proxies

Direct county-level “mobile internet usage patterns” (such as share of residents primarily using mobile for internet, time spent on mobile data, or app-level behavior) are generally not available from public administrative datasets at the county level. The following are measurable proxies and structural factors:

  • Subscription type mix (ACS): The share of households reporting cellular data plan as an internet subscription type can serve as an indicator of mobile-enabled household internet access. This does not necessarily indicate mobile-only reliance, but it indicates presence of mobile broadband capability in the household subscription set.
  • Network generation availability (FCC):
    • LTE is typically the baseline wide-area mobile broadband layer.
    • 5G availability, where present, is more likely to be concentrated near population centers and along key routes.
  • Performance variability: Rural networks often show greater variability by location (distance to tower, terrain shielding, indoor/outdoor) than urban networks. Publicly accessible, county-resolved performance statistics are not consistently published in official datasets; FCC maps are primarily availability-focused rather than performance reporting.

Common device types (smartphones vs other devices)

Public county-level estimates of smartphone ownership vs feature phones are not typically published in standard government datasets. The most widely used public sources provide:

  • Household “computer” ownership categories (desktop/laptop/tablet) and internet subscription types (ACS), but do not cleanly separate smartphone ownership as a standalone device category at county granularity.
  • Mobile broadband availability by area (FCC), which indicates service footprint rather than device mix.

Given these constraints:

  • Smartphones as the predominant mobile endpoint is well established nationally, but a Washakie County–specific device-type split is not available from the FCC map or standard ACS county tables.
  • The best county-level, non-speculative proxy remains ACS household internet subscription types (including cellular data plans) and computer ownership categories via data.census.gov.

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage and adoption

County characteristics that commonly correlate with mobile adoption and reliance (not presented here as quantified county-specific causal effects due to data limits) include:

  • Population density and settlement dispersion: Lower density can reduce the economic incentive for dense cell site deployment and may increase reliance on a smaller number of macro sites, affecting capacity and indoor coverage.
  • Income and affordability constraints: ACS provides income and poverty indicators at county level that often correlate with subscription adoption and device replacement cycles, but these do not directly measure mobile device ownership.
  • Age distribution: Older age profiles (where present) can be associated with different patterns of technology adoption; ACS provides age distributions at county level, but does not directly tie age to smartphone ownership in standard county tables.
  • Work and land use: Agricultural and outdoor work patterns can increase the importance of wide-area coverage along fields, ranchlands, and road networks; this influences perceived utility of mobile connectivity independent of household fixed broadband availability.

County and local context references:

  • Washakie County’s local government information is available via the Washakie County website, which provides community and service context relevant to rural infrastructure conditions.

Clear separation: availability vs adoption (summary)

  • Network availability (supply):

    • Best source: FCC National Broadband Map (mobile LTE/5G coverage by provider; modeled/provider-reported).
    • What it answers: where mobile broadband is reported to be available.
    • What it does not answer: who subscribes, device ownership, affordability, consistent indoor performance.

  • Household adoption (demand):

    • Best source: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS) on data.census.gov.
    • What it answers: household internet subscription status and types (including cellular data plan where shown), plus household computing device categories.
    • What it does not answer: precise smartphone vs feature phone ownership rates at county level, and fine-grained 4G/5G usage behavior.

Primary external sources cited

Social Media Trends

Washakie County is in north-central Wyoming and includes the City of Worland as its primary population center. The county’s rural settlement pattern, agriculture- and energy-adjacent regional economy, and long travel distances between services typically align with heavier reliance on mobile connectivity for communication and local information, while also reflecting the older age profile common in many rural Rocky Mountain counties.

User statistics (penetration / active use)

  • Overall adult social media use (benchmark): Nationally, 69% of U.S. adults report using at least one social media site (2023). Source: Pew Research Center’s Social Media Use in 2023.
  • Rural context: Social media use is slightly lower in rural areas than urban/suburban areas in Pew’s long-running internet adoption tracking, and rural adults are also less likely to have home broadband (which can shift usage toward smartphones). Source: Pew Research Center: Internet/Broadband fact sheet.
  • County-level note: Public, survey-grade county-specific “social media penetration” estimates are generally not published at the reliability level of national surveys. For Washakie County, the most defensible approach is to use national and rural benchmarks as the statistical frame of reference rather than precise local percentages.

Age group trends (who uses social media most)

Using Pew’s 2023 national findings (patterns that generally hold across geographies):

Interpretation for Washakie County: Rural counties with older median ages typically show a larger share of residents in lower-usage age brackets (65+), which tends to pull overall penetration down relative to national averages while concentrating usage among working-age adults and younger residents.

Gender breakdown

Most-used platforms (with percentages where available)

National adult usage rates (2023) from Pew, useful as the most reliable benchmark for platform mix:

Rural county expectation: In rural areas, Facebook and YouTube commonly serve as the broadest-reach platforms, while TikTok/Snapchat concentrate more heavily among younger cohorts; LinkedIn tends to track professional/white-collar occupational mix.

Behavioral trends (engagement patterns / preferences)

  • High-frequency use is common among users: Many adult users report daily social media use, and usage is typically highest among younger adults. Source: Pew Research Center (frequency and age patterns).
  • Local information seeking: Rural communities often use Facebook groups/pages for local announcements, community events, school/sports updates, and informal service recommendations; this reflects Facebook’s strength in community bulletin-board functions more than viral discovery.
  • Video-first consumption: With YouTube at the highest national reach, video is a dominant format for how-to, news explainers, and entertainment; in rural settings, this often aligns with practical content and locally relevant topics (weather, road conditions, regional events).
  • Mobile-centric behavior where fixed broadband is limited: Lower rural broadband adoption is associated with relatively greater reliance on smartphones for internet access and social apps, shaping engagement toward shorter sessions and app-based consumption. Source: Pew Research Center: Internet/Broadband fact sheet.

Family & Associates Records

Washakie County, Wyoming maintains limited family and associate-related public records at the county level, with most vital records managed by the state. Wyoming vital records (birth and death certificates) are issued by the Wyoming Department of Health, Vital Statistics Services; county offices generally do not create or provide certified birth/death certificates. Access and ordering information is provided through Wyoming Vital Statistics Services. Adoption records are handled through Wyoming courts and state systems and are generally sealed from public inspection except under specific statutory processes.

At the county level, records most relevant to family/associates commonly include marriage licenses and marriage records maintained by the Washakie County Clerk, along with recorded documents that can reflect relationships (deeds, mortgages, liens, releases). The Washakie County Clerk also serves as clerk to the district and circuit courts for local filings and case records. Office information and service listings are available via the Washakie County official website.

Public databases vary by record type. Some Wyoming court case information is available through the state’s Wyoming Judicial Branch Public Access portal; comprehensive copies are typically obtained in person or by request from the clerk.

Privacy restrictions commonly apply to vital records, adoption files, juvenile matters, and certain protected personal information (for example, redacted identifiers in recorded documents).

Marriage & Divorce Records

Types of records available

  • Marriage licenses and marriage certificates (Washakie County marriages)
    • Marriage licensing is handled at the county level. The license is issued by the county and returned after the ceremony for recording, producing the county’s recorded marriage record.
  • Divorce records (divorce decrees and case files)
    • Divorces are court actions. The final Decree of Divorce is part of the district court case record, along with associated pleadings and orders.
  • Annulments
    • Annulments are court actions (a declaration that a marriage is void/voidable) and are maintained as district court case records, with a final order or decree in the file.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

  • Marriage records
    • Filed/recorded with: Washakie County Clerk (marriage license issuance and recording of completed licenses/returns).
    • Access methods: In-person requests through the county clerk’s office; certified copies are typically issued by the county clerk for recorded marriages in the county. Some index/availability may exist through statewide vital records systems for verification, but local recording and certified copies are commonly handled by the county of record.
  • Divorce and annulment records
    • Filed with: Wyoming District Court for the judicial district serving Washakie County (case docket, pleadings, orders, and final decree/order).
    • Access methods: Case information and copies are obtained through the clerk of the district court where the case was filed. Access to the full case file may be limited by court rules and sealing orders; the final decree/order is often available as part of the public case record unless restricted.
  • State-level vital records context (Wyoming)
    • Wyoming maintains statewide vital records administration through the Wyoming Department of Health, Vital Statistics Services. In Wyoming, divorce and annulment events are generally recorded administratively as vital statistics in addition to the underlying court file, but the official legal document is the court decree/order maintained by the district court.

Typical information included in these records

  • Marriage license / recorded marriage record
    • Full names of the parties
    • Date and place of marriage (county/city; venue information as recorded)
    • Date of license issuance and license number/book-page or instrument reference
    • Officiant name and authority, and date the ceremony was performed (as returned for recording)
    • Ages or dates of birth and residence addresses may appear depending on the form version and time period
    • Signatures/attestations as required by the licensing form and recording process
  • Divorce decree (final judgment)
    • Court name and caption (party names), case number, and filing/judgment dates
    • Findings and orders dissolving the marriage
    • Provisions on property division, debt allocation, child custody/visitation, child support, and spousal support (as applicable)
    • Name changes ordered (as applicable)
  • Annulment order/decree
    • Court name and case number
    • Legal determination that the marriage is void or voidable and the disposition of related matters (property, children, support) where addressed by the court

Privacy or legal restrictions

  • Marriage records
    • Recorded marriage documents are commonly treated as public records at the county level, with access to certified copies governed by state law and county procedures. Certain personal identifiers may be redacted from copies where required by law or policy.
  • Divorce and annulment court records
    • Court case records are generally public, but specific filings (financial affidavits, minor-related records, medical or sensitive information) may be restricted by court rule, protected by statute, or sealed by court order. Sealed cases or sealed documents are not publicly accessible except as authorized by the court.
  • Identity verification and fees
    • Offices typically require sufficient identifying information to locate a record (names, dates, case number where applicable) and collect statutory copy/certification fees. Courts and clerks may limit access methods for older records or archived files due to retention and storage practices.

Education, Employment and Housing

Washakie County is in north-central Wyoming on the Bighorn River, with Worland as the county seat and primary service center. The county is largely rural, with a small-town settlement pattern and an economy tied to agriculture, local services, and regional health/education employers. Population is older than many U.S. counties and dispersed outside Worland in ranching and small community areas (most recent profile available via the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Washakie County).

Education Indicators

Public schools (counts and names)

Public K–12 education is primarily operated by Washakie County School District No. 1 (Worland area). A current directory of district schools is provided on the Washakie County School District No. 1 website (school names and configurations can change over time; the district directory is the most up-to-date source).
Note on “number of public schools”: a single verified count is not consistently published in federal datasets; the district’s official directory functions as the most reliable public listing.

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

  • Student–teacher ratio (proxy): The most consistently comparable countywide proxy is the overall school-district staffing ratio published in state and federal education profiles; however, a single countywide “student–teacher ratio” value is not reliably available in one standard table for Washakie County in the public sources typically used for county profiles. Where needed, Wyoming district ratios are commonly reported in district/state accountability and staffing reports (see the district site above and the Wyoming Department of Education for accountability reporting).
  • High school graduation rate: Wyoming publishes graduation rates through statewide accountability reporting; the most authoritative source is the Wyoming Department of Education. (A county-specific graduation rate is not consistently presented in national county tables; the district-level rate is the practical proxy for Washakie County residents served by the district.)

Adult educational attainment (countywide)

From the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS, as summarized in QuickFacts):

  • High school graduate or higher (age 25+): available in QuickFacts.
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher (age 25+): available in QuickFacts.
    (QuickFacts provides the most recent ACS period estimates it is currently displaying for the county; values update on the Census Bureau’s release cycle.)

Notable programs (STEM, CTE, AP, dual credit)

Program availability is typically documented at the district and school level rather than in countywide datasets:

  • Career & Technical Education (CTE)/vocational pathways: Wyoming districts commonly offer CTE aligned to state pathways (agriculture, skilled trades, business/IT, health-related introductions). District program listings and course catalogs are the most direct sources (see Washakie County School District No. 1).
  • Advanced coursework (AP/dual credit): AP participation and dual/concurrent enrollment are generally reported through school counseling/course guides and state accountability context; the district/school course catalog is the reliable reference point.

School safety measures and counseling resources

Operational details (visitor controls, SRO/law-enforcement coordination, emergency drills, threat reporting, counseling staffing) are handled at the district/school level and summarized in board policies, student handbooks, and school webpages. District policy/handbook materials accessible via Washakie County School District No. 1 and statewide guidance from the Wyoming Department of Education are the most authoritative public references.
Countywide safety/counseling staffing ratios are not consistently available in a single public county dataset; district publications are the standard proxy.

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent available)

The most current county unemployment estimates are published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS). Washakie County’s annual and monthly unemployment rates are available via the BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program (county series).
Note: A single “most recent year” figure requires selecting the latest complete annual average from the LAUS series; LAUS is the authoritative source for that.

Major industries and employment sectors

County-level industry composition is most consistently measured in ACS and related Census products:

  • Public administration, education, and health services tend to be major local employers in rural county seats due to schools, clinics/hospitals, and government functions.
  • Agriculture (crop and livestock operations) remains foundational in land use and upstream/downstream services.
  • Retail trade and accommodation/food services concentrate in Worland as the local hub. Industry distribution tables for Washakie County are available through the Census Bureau’s ACS profiles (see the county profile links in QuickFacts, which connect to more detailed tables).

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

Occupational breakdowns (management; office/administrative; sales; production; transportation; construction; education/health practitioners; service occupations) are reported in ACS county occupation tables. The most direct public entry point is the county’s ACS profile via QuickFacts (which links to detailed tables).
Occupations are better represented as shares of employed residents rather than jobs located in the county; ACS primarily describes residents’ employment.

Commuting patterns and mean commute time

ACS reports commute mode and travel time for resident workers:

  • Typical pattern: Predominantly car/truck/van commuting, with a meaningful share of workers traveling within the county seat and a smaller share commuting to other counties for specialized jobs.
  • Mean travel time to work: Published in ACS/QuickFacts for Washakie County (see QuickFacts).

Local employment vs. out-of-county work

The best standardized measure of where residents work (in-county vs. out-of-county) comes from the Census Bureau’s commuting/flows products rather than basic county profiles:

  • The Census OnTheMap (LEHD) tool provides residence-to-work flows indicating the share of workers employed inside Washakie County versus commuting to other counties.
    This is the most consistent public proxy for “local employment vs. out-of-county work” in a county profile format.

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership vs. renting

The county’s owner-occupied share and renter-occupied share are reported in ACS housing characteristics and summarized in QuickFacts.

Median property values and recent trends

  • Median value of owner-occupied housing units: Reported in QuickFacts (ACS).
  • Recent trends (proxy): County-level “trend” is best inferred by comparing multi-year ACS releases over time; ACS values can lag market conditions and are less volatile than transaction-based indexes. For a transaction-oriented view, county assessor sales summaries (when published) provide more direct market movement, but those are not standardized across counties.

Typical rent prices

  • Median gross rent: Reported in QuickFacts (ACS).
    Median gross rent includes contract rent plus utilities when paid by tenants; it is the standard countywide benchmark.

Housing stock and types

The housing stock is typical of rural Wyoming counties:

  • Single-family detached homes dominate in and around Worland and in rural residential areas.
  • Manufactured housing and scattered rural homes on larger lots are common outside town.
  • Apartments and small multi-family properties exist primarily in Worland, often close to employment and services. These patterns align with ACS “units in structure” distributions available through the county’s housing tables (accessible from QuickFacts).

Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools/amenities)

  • Worland concentrates schools, parks, municipal services, healthcare, and retail; housing nearer the town core typically has shorter travel times to schools and amenities.
  • Outlying areas involve longer driving distances and more rural land-use context, with larger parcels and fewer nearby services.
    This description reflects the county’s settlement geography; standardized “neighborhood amenity scores” are not produced in official county datasets.

Property taxes (rate and typical homeowner cost)

Wyoming property taxes are administered locally with state rules; practical homeowner cost is best represented by:

  • Median real estate taxes paid (dollars): reported in ACS and summarized in QuickFacts.
    A single “average property tax rate” is less comparable across jurisdictions because effective tax burdens depend on assessed value ratios, local mill levies, and exemptions; ACS “taxes paid” is the most consistent countywide measure for typical homeowner cost. For local levy details, county government and assessor materials are the authoritative sources (commonly linked from county webpages; standardized county levy tables are not centrally published in ACS).

Table of Contents

Other Counties in Wyoming