2020 Urban Area Definition and Places in Colorado
Consistent with previous decennial censuses, changes were made to criteria classifying urban areas following the 2020 Census. Key changes to the Census Bureau’s urban area concept and criteria include:
- The use of housing unit density instead of solely population density.
- The minimum population threshold to qualify as urban increased from 2,500 to 5,000 or a minimum housing unit threshold of 2,000 housing units.
- The jump distance was reduced from 2.5 miles to 1.5 miles for 2020. Jump distance is the distance along roads used to connect high-density urban territories surrounded by rural territory.
- No longer distinguishing between urbanized areas and urban clusters. All qualifying areas are designated urban areas. (Following the 2010 Census, the Census Bureau defined two types of urban areas, urbanized areas with a population of 50,000 or more and urban clusters with at least 2,500 but fewer than 50,000 people)
Although the federal government does not have a standard definition of urban or rural, the Census Bureau’s classification often provides a baseline set of areas. Previously, other federal agencies applied higher population thresholds that aligned with their specific program needs. The Census Bureau’s previous threshold of 2,500 people was the lowest in use and, over the years, data users and analysts have questioned the continued validity of the 2,500-person threshold and asked if the Census Bureau would consider an increase.
The Census Bureau also changed the definition of urban areas to include housing unit density measured at the census block level, instead of solely population density. Housing density provides a more direct measure of the densely developed landscape. The number of individuals in housing units can change over time, but the presence of housing on the landscape remains more stable. Using housing density will also account for areas with second homes, often vacant in April during the decennial count. The use of housing unit density also provides the ability to update urban areas between censuses. This is especially important in faster growing areas of the nation.
The SDO has developed a web map showing the 2010 urban areas of the state that are now rural, those areas that were rural in 2010 and are now urban and the areas remaining urban in both 2010 and 2020.
The tables below list the 2020 Urban Areas for the state as well as a list of the changes from the 2010 Urban Areas.
| Name | Population | Housing Units | Land Area (Square Miles) | Population Density |
| Alamosa, CO | 10,965 | 4,656 | 7.68 | 1,426.87 |
| Aspen, CO | 7,674 | 6,597 | 5.21 | 1,472.47 |
| Basalt, CO | 8,127 | 3,458 | 3.64 | 2,231.33 |
| Battlement Mesa, CO | 6,311 | 2,571 | 3.06 | 2,059.44 |
| Boulder, CO | 120,828 | 52,204 | 25.45 | 4,747.90 |
| Breckenridge, CO | 8,725 | 10,276 | 11.15 | 782.49 |
| Brush, CO | 5,568 | 2,242 | 2.52 | 2,209.21 |
| Buena Vista, CO | 5,038 | 2,075 | 5.14 | 980.47 |
| Cañon City, CO | 24,737 | 11,117 | 15.92 | 1,553.90 |
| Carbondale, CO | 7,361 | 2,887 | 2.64 | 2,790.14 |
| Castle Rock, CO | 85,350 | 31,345 | 35.71 | 2,390.35 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 632,494 | 254,131 | 200.36 | 3,156.74 |
| Cortez, CO | 8,628 | 3,914 | 4.25 | 2,031.22 |
| Craig, CO | 9,650 | 4,288 | 5.50 | 1,754.24 |
| Delta, CO | 8,190 | 3,553 | 6.23 | 1,315.34 |
| Denver--Aurora, CO | 2,686,147 | 1,125,043 | 644.54 | 4,167.54 |
| Durango, CO | 19,114 | 9,232 | 9.45 | 2,022.44 |
| Eagle, CO | 7,419 | 2,640 | 3.41 | 2,178.25 |
| Eaton, CO | 5,823 | 2,174 | 2.16 | 2,695.45 |
| Edwards--Avon, CO | 16,518 | 11,151 | 11.60 | 1,423.57 |
| Estes Park, CO | 7,907 | 6,112 | 12.15 | 650.77 |
| Evergreen, CO | 10,218 | 4,424 | 9.46 | 1,080.09 |
| Falcon, CO | 21,348 | 6,627 | 8.48 | 2,518.63 |
| Firestone--Frederick, CO | 35,447 | 12,207 | 15.22 | 2,329.59 |
| Fort Collins, CO | 326,332 | 138,125 | 117.98 | 2,766.06 |
| Fort Lupton, CO | 7,856 | 2,749 | 2.33 | 3,371.15 |
| Fort Morgan, CO | 13,473 | 5,011 | 5.54 | 2,431.20 |
| Fraser, CO | 3,178 | 5,385 | 4.45 | 713.54 |
| Frisco, CO | 3,463 | 3,654 | 2.15 | 1,608.69 |
| Glenwood Springs, CO | 10,889 | 4,602 | 5.46 | 1,994.02 |
| Grand Junction, CO | 135,973 | 58,584 | 75.61 | 1,798.38 |
| Grand Lake, CO | 1,801 | 3,048 | 5.38 | 334.90 |
| Greeley, CO | 137,222 | 50,941 | 37.30 | 3,679.00 |
| Gunnison, CO | 7,228 | 3,285 | 3.66 | 1,977.09 |
| Gypsum, CO | 8,841 | 2,825 | 5.78 | 1,530.32 |
| Johnstown, CO | 19,773 | 6,744 | 5.74 | 3,444.60 |
| La Junta, CO | 7,792 | 3,571 | 3.88 | 2,008.13 |
| Lafayette--Erie--Louisville, CO | 96,485 | 37,356 | 34.99 | 2,757.52 |
| Lamar, CO | 7,502 | 3,386 | 4.26 | 1,761.35 |
| Leadville, CO | 4,538 | 2,606 | 2.49 | 1,818.90 |
| Lochbuie, CO | 4,120 | 0,000 | 1.23 | 3,352.40 |
| Longmont, CO | 100,776 | 42,509 | 24.17 | 4,169.59 |
| Montrose, CO | 24,513 | 11,114 | 19.48 | 1,258.17 |
| New Castle, CO | 5,844 | 2,228 | 2.22 | 2,632.55 |
| Pagosa Springs, CO | 5,632 | 4,096 | 6.24 | 902.22 |
| Pueblo West, CO | 25,413 | 9,795 | 22.06 | 1,151.80 |
| Pueblo, CO | 120,642 | 52,608 | 54.70 | 2,205.40 |
| Rifle, CO | 11,469 | 4,082 | 4.00 | 2,868.07 |
| Roxborough Park, CO | 9,090 | 3,299 | 3.83 | 2,374.56 |
| Salida, CO | 5,953 | 3,415 | 2.85 | 2,088.97 |
| Severance, CO | 6,408 | 2,095 | 1.91 | 3,357.57 |
| Silverthorne--Keystone, CO | 13,867 | 11,960 | 11.13 | 1,246.46 |
| Snowmass Village, CO | 2,392 | 2,048 | 2.24 | 1,068.71 |
| Steamboat Springs, CO | 14,455 | 10,532 | 10.11 | 1,429.82 |
| Sterling, CO | 12,278 | 5,658 | 5.42 | 2,266.63 |
| Telluride--Mountain Village, CO | 4,587 | 4,347 | 6.87 | 667.37 |
| The Pinery, CO | 14,662 | 5,025 | 9.22 | 1,590.68 |
| Trinidad, CO | 8,323 | 4,362 | 4.75 | 1,751.19 |
| Vail, CO | 6,080 | 8,070 | 5.06 | 1,202.31 |
| Wellington, CO | 11,071 | 3,936 | 3.25 | 3,408.96 |
| Woodland Park, CO | 11,548 | 5,647 | 9.28 | 1,244.04 |
| Newly Formed Urban Areas in 2020 |
| Grand Lake |
| Snowmass Village |
| Telluride--Mountain Village |
| Part of Urban Area in 2010, Own Urban Area in 2020 |
| Castle Rock |
| Falcon |
| Frisco |
| Pueblo West |
| The Pinery |
| Merged Urban Area in 2020 |
| Lochbuie |
| Urban Area in 2010, not Urban Area in 2020 |
| Air Force Academy |
| Bayfield |
| Burlington |
| Cedaredge |
| Florence |
| Las Animas |
| Monte Vista |
| Rocky Ford |
| Silt |
| Walsenburg |
Doanload the full description of Colorado's 2020 Census Urban Areas here:2020 Census Urban Areas
Please contact the SDO team if you have any questions about the population of Colorado.