New Data: Outdoor Recreation Continues as Major Economic Driver in Wyoming

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) recently reported that the outdoor recreation industry remained a steadfast economic driver for Wyoming, generating $2.3 billion in 2024.

That represents 4.5 percent of the state’s GDP, the fifth-highest percentage of GDP in the United States for that sector, and an increase over 2023. Additionally, the outdoor recreation industry in Wyoming increased the number of people employed from 2023 to over 16,500.

“The outdoor recreation industry continues to be a significant contributor to Wyoming’s economy,” says Mark Tesoro, manager of the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation. “Our office is focused on helping to reshape where people recreate: Educating, dispersing and reconcentrating user groups ensures the wealth that comes from recreationists is spread to communities across the state.”

“Outdoor recreation continues to generate meaningful economic benefits for Wyoming communities,” says Dan McCoy, director of the University of Wyoming’s Jay Kemmerer WORTH (Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality) Institute. “Beyond GDP contributions, these numbers translate directly into employment, local business revenues and investments that enhance the quality of life across both rural and gateway communities.”

Key highlights from the 2024 data on the outdoor recreation economy in Wyoming:

-- Since 2023, Wyoming’s outdoor recreation compensation has matched the national growth at 5.2 percent.

-- The percentage of total employment in Wyoming’s outdoor recreation industry was 5.5 percent of the state’s workforce, substantially higher than the national average of 3.2 percent.

-- Wyoming is tied with Florida in fourth place nationally, with 3.8 percent of total statewide compensation in the outdoor recreation sector. Nationally, the percentage of total compensation is 2.2 percent.

However, Wyoming experienced weaker growth in economic impact and employment in outdoor recreation compared with the national trend. Since 2023, economic impact from outdoor recreation and employment each grew only 0.5 percent in Wyoming, below U.S. growth rates (4.0 percent for economic impact and 1.1 percent for employment).

Hunting, shooting and trapping generated the largest economic activity in Wyoming, bringing in nearly $109 million. Wyoming’s other top contributing outdoor recreation activities included RVing, boating/fishing, horseback riding and snow activities, including snowmobiling.

At the national level, the BEA’s data show that outdoor recreation generated $1.3 trillion in economic output (2.4 percent of GDP), employed 3.2 percent of U.S. workers and accounted for 5.2 million jobs in 2024.

This is the eighth consecutive year that BEA has released government data on this critical industry, confirming the role of outdoor recreation as a central contributor to thriving economies, healthy people and connected communities. However, growth slowed in 2024 as inflation, interest rates and shifting consumer behavior in the post-COVID recovery impacted participation.

View the full report at www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/outdoor-recreation. For Wyoming-specific statistics, view the report here.

For more information about the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation, visit https://wyooutdoorrecreation.wyo.gov/. For more information about the Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute, visit https://www.uwyo.edu/worth.