In a recent Cowboy State Daily article about population loss in rural Wyoming, one county commissioner claimed that young people “just don’t want to work that hard anymore.”
That’s not just lazy analysis, it’s flat-out wrong.
Young people do want to work. But in Wyoming, they’re running into barriers that make it harder to build a life here. If anything, state policies and attitudes are practically pushing them out the door.
Take child care. Wyoming lost nearly 200 providers between 2014 and 2024, according to state data. The state has a child care gap of nearly 30% — the shortfall between available slots and the number of children under six who likely need care.
Thousands of parents are out of the workforce not by choice, but because care simply doesn’t exist. Though lawmakers agreed to study the issue in 2024, little was done to fix it during the 2025 legislative session. In fact, they nearly made it worse by attempting to strip pre-K eligibility from the new school voucher law.
This isn’t just a family issue. It’s an economic one. Businesses across Wyoming are eager to grow but can’t find workers. Child care is one major reason why.
Housing is another.
Young adults often want to live in walkable, connected areas close to jobs, restaurants and friends. But most Wyoming towns have zoning laws that limit downtown housing or outlaw apartments altogether. That drives up housing prices, depresses foot traffic for local businesses and makes our communities less attractive to the very people we’re trying to retain.
Meanwhile, state lawmakers continue to slash property taxes (the primary funding source for schools, emergency services and infrastructure) while refusing to expand Medicaid or invest in mental health care.
They created a suicide prevention trust fund but didn’t put a single dollar into it. They spend more time targeting transgender youth and banning books than addressing the real, material challenges young families face.
And when young people push back? The answer is often, “If you don’t like it, leave.”
So they do.
Only 46% of University of Wyoming graduates working after college remain in the state. In Colorado and Utah, that number is closer to 70%. Why? More housing, more job opportunities, better amenities, and a public message that says, “We want you here.”
Young people aren’t lazy. They’re unsupported. And until Wyoming starts listening to them, we’ll keep watching them walk away.
Tom Dixon
Cheyenne, Wyoming
