Cowley is a town in Big Horn County,

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

, United States. The population was 762 at the 2020 census.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 655 people, 229 households, and 169 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 250 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.4%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.5% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 2.1% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 4.0% of the population. There were 229 households, of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 26.2% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.41. The median age in the town was 36.9 years. 31.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.3% were from 25 to 44; 23.9% were from 45 to 64; and 14.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 560 people, 200 households and 160 families residing in the town. The

was 796.5 per square mile (308.9/km²). There were 223 housing units at an average density of 317.2 per square mile (123.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.32%

, 0.18% Asian, 2.14% from other races, and 0.36% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 3.39% of the population. There were 200 households, of which 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.0% were

living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.0% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.19. In the city the population was spread out, with 31.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males. The

median income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of unde ...

for a household in the town was $38,750, and the median income for a family was $39,722. Males had a median income of $31,848 versus $20,000 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $14,964. About 3.8% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 10.3% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The current mayor as of November 2014 is local businessman Joel Peterson. Council members are David Banks, Dexter Woodis, Nick Sponsel and Scott Crosby. The town maintains an informational website at http://cowleywyoming.com/.

History

The community was named after Matthias F. Cowley, a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Education

Public education in the town of Cowley is provided by Big Horn County School District #1. High School students attend Rocky Mountain High School in Cowley. Middle School students attend Rocky Mountain Middle School also here in Cowley and Elementary students attend Rocky Mountain Elementary School in Cowley. The Big Horn Academy Building, built in 1916, is located in Cowley. The building was home to Cowley High School from 1925 to 1983.

Cowley Pioneer Day and the Cowley Pioneer Museum

Each July, Cowley hosts an annual celebration, known locally as "Cowley Pioneer Day", which is held on the Weekend closest to July 24, to commemorate the town's pioneer heritage. The celebration usually packs in a range of activities including a parade, pioneer heritage program, rodeo, dance, and town barbecue. Cowley's pioneer heritage is also remembered year-round in the Cowley Pioneer Museum, located on Main Street in Cowley, in the same building as the town hall.

References

External links

* www.cowleywyoming.com {{Authority control Towns in Big Horn County, Wyoming Towns in Wyoming Populated places established in 1900