2021 Population Summary January 2023
Colorado’s resident population as of July 2021 was 5,814,707, ranking 21st in size in the United States. Colorado’s 2021 population represents growth of 30,000, or 0.5% increase, over Colorado’s July 2020 population estimates. Colorado’s 2020-2021 growth percentage was the 17th-highest among U.S. states. The growth rate of 0.5% is the slowest growth rate since 1989.
Colorado’s total growth comprised 62,000 births, 46,500 deaths, and 15,000 in net migration in 2021. Annual births were at their lowest levels since 1999, yet there are more women of childbearing age. Annual deaths were at the highest levels on record due to COVID-19 and aging.
In Colorado, 38 of the 64 counties, or 59%, experienced natural decrease. The aging in the nation and Colorado, as well as increased mortality due to COVID and fewer births, contributed to the increase in counties experiencing natural decline. Most of the counties in a phase of natural decline were in the non-metro parts of the state and the declines ranged from -560 to -1. However, the metro counties of Pueblo and Mesa lead the list of counties in natural decline; the list also includes Jefferson County but with only with -2.
Births continued to slow in 2021. The slowing in births will continue to have long-run impacts on K-12 and higher education, as well as the labor force. Every county is different. Most counties reached their peak births in 2007 but some counties, like Jefferson, reached their peak births in 2000. Weld is the only Front Range County continuing to see an increase in births. Early signs point to births leveling in 2022 and increasing slightly in 2023 and 2024 as the number of women in childbearing years increases in the state. Additionally, the largest group of millennials are entering their 30s where Colorado has experienced increased birth rates.
Over time the number of deaths in Colorado have increased, reflecting an increased number of older adults. COVID-19 caused an additional increase in deaths in 2020, 2021, and 2022. In 2021, deaths reached 46,500, an estimated 8,000 more than in 2019. Early indicators suggest that deaths will jump to over 49,000 in 2022.
Net migration in 2021 was estimated at its lowest levels since the tech bust during 2003-2005. Net migration included 10,000 in net domestic migration and 5,000 in net international migration. In comparison, between 2010 and 2020, net domestic migration averaged 37,000 and net international migration averaged 10,000 annually. Twenty of the sixty-four counties reported net out-migration, led by Denver, Jefferson, Arapahoe, Boulder, and Adams. In 2021, the metro counties reported out-migration for the first year since the tech bust in the early 2000s. These estimates may be revised in 2023 with access to more data.
See the full paper here: 2021 Population Summary
Please contact the SDO team if you have any questions about the population of Colorado.