GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) - Gillette’s population has dropped for the first time in nearly 20 years.
The Gillette News Record reported Wednesday (https://bit.ly/2k53qmQ ) that Gillette lost an estimated 2,182 residents in 2016, the largest decline the city has seen since 1987. The unofficial city staff population estimate at the end of the year was 30,467.
In 1987, it was reported that 2,192 people left town after a massive drop-off in the oil business.
The city has only had four years of declining population over the past 31 years, including a loss of 175 residents in 1997.
The population count is unofficial. City staff takes into account rental vacancies, school enrollment, real estate markets, housing permits issued and several other factors to reach the figure.
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Information from: The Gillette (Wyo.) News Record, https://www.gillettenewsrecord.com
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