Teton County was created February 15, 1921, from a portion of Lincoln County. Its governing organization was completed in 1922.[4] The county was named for the Teton Range.[5] The county was created because the inhabitants lived too far away from Kemmerer, the county seat of Lincoln County. The creation of the county required a special act of the Wyoming Legislature, because the area was too poor and had too few people to qualify for county status under the normal requirements.
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,216 square miles (10,920 km2), of which 3,995 square miles (10,350 km2) is land and 221 square miles (570 km2) (5.2%) is water.[6]
There were 7,688 households, out of which 25.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.30% were married couples living together, 5.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.70% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.89.
The county population contained 19.90% under the age of 18, 9.80% from 18 to 24, 38.30% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 6.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $54,614, and the median income for a family was $63,916. Males had a median income of $34,570 versus $29,132 for females. The per capita income for the county was $38,260. About 2.80% of families and 6.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.70% of those under age 18 and 4.40% of those age 65 or over.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 21,294 people, 8,973 households, and 4,938 families in the county.[10] The population density was 5.3 people per square mile (2.0 people/km2). There were 12,813 housing units at an average density of 3.2 units per square mile (1.2 units/km2).[11] The racial makeup of the county was 88.4% white, 1.1% Asian, 0.5% American Indian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 8.1% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 15.0% of the population.[10] In terms of ancestry, 22.2% were German, 14.9% were English, 13.0% were Irish, and 11.1% were American.[12]
Of the 8,973 households, 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 45.0% were non-families, and 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age was 36.9 years.[10]
The median income for a household in the county was $70,271 and the median income for a family was $90,596. Males had a median income of $40,594 versus $36,715 for females. The per capita income for the county was $42,224. About 5.1% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 0.8% of those age 65 or over.[13]
Economy
Home prices by county (2021) <$100,000 $200,000 $300,000 $400,000 $500,000 $600,000 $700,000+
A 2019 Bloomberg L.P. report (citing Bureau of Economic Analysis figures) found that Teton had the highest average incomes per capita of any county in the United States, at $252,000. This was partly attributed to the high incomes of Jackson Hole residents, where property owners include Bill Gates.[14]
As of the fourth quarter of 2021, the median home price in Teton County was $1,060,093, an increase of 17.8% from the prior year.[15]
Liz Skalka of the Huffpost described Teton as a "liberal county" in August 2022.[16] Previously a staunchly Republican county, which produced Governor and U.S. SenatorClifford Hansen, a mass immigration of wealthy liberals from the West Coast has made Teton County the most Democratic county in Wyoming, which is one of the most Republican states in the nation. The only Republican presidential candidate since 1992 to win Teton County was George W. Bush in 2000 who had county resident Dick Cheney on the ticket. In the 2008 election, Barack Obama carried Teton County by a 23.6 percentage point margin over John McCain, with McCain winning statewide by a 32.2 percentage point margin over Obama, his widest margin in any state. Albany County, which includes the University of Wyoming at Laramie, was the only other county in the state to have backed Obama. In 2004, Teton was the only Wyoming county won by John F. Kerry over George W. Bush.[17] In the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by 57.9%–31.1%.[18] In 2020, Joe Biden beat Donald Trump by 37.5%, the largest margin for a Democrat ever in the county.[19] The county has, however, voted at times for Republican candidates for the governorship and United States Senate. Most recently, the county voted for Republican Mark Gordon for governor in 2022, although by the slimmest margin of any county in Wyoming.
United States presidential election results for Teton County, Wyoming[20]
^Skalka, Liz (August 16, 2022). "Wyoming Democrats Back Liz Cheney In Her Home County". HuffPost. Retrieved October 27, 2022. Teton County, home to Jackson, a new playground for the ultra-rich set against a breathtaking natural landscape, is unlike anywhere else in this heavy mining and agricultural state. It's Wyoming's bluest county, meaning voters here are more likely to be Democrats who voted for Cheney, an uncommon phenomenon that Cheney's campaign encouraged.
United States
Wyoming
