Moorcroft is a town in Crook County,

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

, United States. The population was 946 at the 2020 census.

History

Moorcroft was incorporated on October 2, 1906. The exact meaning of Moorcroft is unknown but over the years has several suggested origins for the name. The town was named in 1876 after Alexander Moorcroft, an early settler from Northern England who built a cabin in the

Black Hills The Black Hills ( lkt, Ȟe Sápa; chy, Moʼȯhta-voʼhonáaeva; hid, awaxaawi shiibisha) is an isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States. Black Elk P ...

of Wyoming. The name Moorcroft was chosen by the community’s first postman Stocks Millar (1858-1890) after his home town in Scotland , whose relatives still live in the English town of Warrington The town of Moorcroft recently came into prominence when featured in the film Close Encounters of the third kind

Geography

Moorcroft is located at (44.264863, -104.950663). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

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

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 1,009 people, 392 households, and 254 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 442 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.9% Native American, 0.1%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 1.0% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.3% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 4.5% of the population. There were 392 households, of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.2% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.20. The median age in the town was 32.6 years. 30.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.7% were from 25 to 44; 26.4% were from 45 to 64; and 9.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.8% male and 50.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 807 people, 325 households, and 219 families residing in the town. The

was 731.4 people per square mile (283.3/km²). There were 375 housing units at an average density of 339.9 per square mile (131.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.1%

, 1.0% Native American, 0.3% from

, and 0.6% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.4% of the population. There were 325 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were

living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.04. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males. The median income for a household in the town was $36,953, and the median income for a family was $41,484. Males had a median income of $32,109 versus $19,632 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $16,476. About 2.6% of families and 5.2% 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 t ...

, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education in the town of Moorcroft is provided by Crook County School District #1. Zoned campuses include Moorcroft K-8 (grades K-8) and

Moorcroft Secondary School W. Moorcroft Limited ( trading as W Moorcroft Ltd) is a British art pottery manufacturer based at Burslem in Stoke-on-Trent, England. The company was founded by William Moorcroft in 1913. History In 1897, Staffordshire pottery manufacturer ...

(grades 9-12). Moorcroft has a

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are ...

, a branch of the Crook County Public Library System.

Public Safety

Police

Moorcroft is served by the Moorcroft Police Department which is composed of three officers and one clerk.

Notable people

* Chancey Williams (born 1981), country music singer-songwriter, former saddle bronc rider, born in Moorcroft, Wyoming

References

External links

Town of Moorcroft
{{Authority control Towns in Crook County, Wyoming Towns in Wyoming