Posted on 02/02/2005 5:59:35 AM PST by Theodore R.
AKA "Ronnie's Rocket Ranch". Was there in the late 80's. You're right, not much to do in Cheyenne except leave!
Agreed.
I guess you just can't take the city out of the boy.
I like Wyoming. :-)
I grew up in Wyoming and still own land there.
I grew up in Casper. You get used to it. :-)
The Great Plains are losing population. Though their agricultural yield keeps going up, the number of people required to work in agriculture keeps shrinking. So, people leave. And kill themselves, apparently.
Just announce that for every suicide, the state of Wyoming will kill a puppy.
Stop em cold. :P
Here's the complete list:
Rank- State [Region] (‘01 rank) Rate Number
1 Wyoming (04)......................21.1.............105
2 Alaska (06)..........................20.5.............132
3 Montana (02)........................20.2.............184
4 Nevada (03)..........................19.5.............423
5 New Mexico (01)..................18.8.............349
6 Arizona (10T).......................16.2.............886
7 Colorado (05).......................16.1.............727
8 West Virginia (07T)...............15.3.............276
9 Idaho (07T)..........................15.1.............202
10 Vermont (26T)......................14.9..............92
11 Oregon (10T)........................14.7.............518
11 Utah (13T)...........................14.7.............340
13 North Dakota (20T)...............14.4..............91
14 Oklahoma (09)......................14.3.............501
15 Florida (13T)........................14.0..........2,338
16 Arkansas (12).......................13.9.............377
17 Tennessee (20T)....................13.4.............778
17 Washington (24)...................13.4.............811
19 Kentucky (22).......................13.2.............540
20 Maine (19)...........................12.8.............166
21 Kansas (36)..........................12.7.............345
22 South Dakota (15).................12.4..............94
23 Missouri (18).......................12.2.............693
24 Indiana (26T)........................12.1.............743
25 Mississippi (28T)..................11.9.............343
25 North Carolina (23)...............11.9.............986
27 Nebraska (35).......................11.6.............201
28 Alabama (28T)......................11.5.............514
28 Wisconsin (25).....................11.5.............627
30 Ohio (37).............................11.3..........1,287
31 Louisiana (34)......................11.1.............499
United States.......................11.0........31,655
32 Michigan (38).......................11.0..........1,106
32 Virginia (31T)......................11.0.............799
34 Pennsylvania (39T)................10.9..........1,341
35 Iowa (39T)...........................10.7.............314
35 South Carolina (28T).............10.7.............440
37 Georgia (31T).......................10.6.............909
37 Texas (39T)..........................10.6..........2,311
39 New Hampshire (17)..............10.4.............132
40 Minnesota (42).......................9.9.............497
41 Hawaii (31T)..........................9.6.............120
42 California (46T)......................9.2..........3,228
42 Delaware (16).........................9.2..............74
44 Illinois (43)...........................9.1..........1,145
45 Maryland (44)........................8.7.............477
46 Rhode Island (45)...................8.0..............86
47 Connecticut (46T)...................7.5.............260
48 Massachusetts (50)..................6.8.............436
49 New Jersey (49)......................6.4.............553
49 New York (51).......................6.4..........1,228
51 District of Columbia (48).........5.4..............31
Caution: Annual fluctuations in state levels combined
with often relatively small populations can make these
data highly variable. The use of several years’ data is
preferable to conclusions based on single years alone.
Region [Abbreviation] Rate Number
Mountain [M]..................................16.9.........3,216
East South Central [ESC]..................12.6.........2,175
South Atlantic [SA]..........................11.8.........6,330
West North Central [WNC]................11.5.........2,235
West South Central [WSC]................11.4.........3,688
Nation...........................................11.0.......31,655
East North Central [ENC]..................10.7.........4,908
Pacific [P].......................................10.3.........4,809
New England [NE].............................8.3.........1,172
Middle Atlantic [MA].........................7.8.........3,122
Source: Kochanek, K.D., Murphy, S.L., Anderson, R.N.,
& Scott, C. (2004). Deaths: Final data for 2002.
National Vital Statistics Reports, 53(5).
Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health
Statistics. DHHS Publication No. (PHS) 2005-
1120. (p. 92, Table 29).
[data are by place of residence]
[Suicide = ICD-10 Codes X60-X84, Y87.0]
Note: All rates are per 100,000 population.
* Including the District of Columbia.
OK, I love Wyoming. My grandparents homesteaded there and are buried there and I still have relatives in Riverton and Dubois.
I've always said that I would love to live in Wyoming....
As long as I knew I didn't HAVE TO stay in Wyoming.
It's not for folks who can't stand being out in nature, or being alone. But it is some of the most gorgeous country on the planet. Of course the whole state is basically one big volcano waiting to blow, so there's that too.
As to the statistics, the sample size for the entire state's population is so small (around 500,000) that you really can't infer all that much statistically.
Say what?
I know what would cheer up those gloomy gus types, more Starbucks, a good $20.00 hamburger and a radio station that played Billy Joel 24/7.
they do have long, cold winters
Hm...aren't the places with the lowest suicide rates also the places with some of the highest murder rates? Kinda interesting.
And many of the top ones are places with a lotta rural areas. Personally, that's what I like, but it's true that a) there aren't as many things to do and b) if you get in trouble or down, EVERYONE knows about it. No way to hide. I imagine that could be a contributing factor.
The places with the lower rates seem to be the most densely populated (hence the murder rates.
I remember years ago visiting a very isolated place in one of the top states. Shopping was a once a month affair in the winter and the isolation was extreme. You have to have a pretty good sense of yourself to manage it.
You nailed it right there. The vast majority of people don't do alone well. Not beyond a weekend or so. Lonliness is up there on the suicide factors.
Good post. One has to really like the cold or wind swept plains and places in the boonies. Not for me. I can visit there and like it, but I wont live it.
Thank you. I'm actually surpised at the amount of support I'm getting. I was really expecting a ton of flames for not appreciating rural America more.
No Chinese food delivery could drive me over the edge...
I lived it. (till I went to the university)
However, I certainly do not have a problem with anyone not liking it.
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