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Monday, Mar. 2, 2026

Have transplants driven Colorado’s population growth over the past decade?

Cassis Tingley, The Colorado Sun
yes

Migration has contributed significantly more to Colorado’s population growth over the past decade than the natural population increase, Colorado State Demography Office data shows.

Population data shows an estimated 320,000 people migrated to Colorado from 2016-2025. During that period, natural population growth — or the difference between births and deaths — added about 210,000 people. Net migration dipped below natural population growth twice in that time frame, in 2021 and 2025.

The drop in net migration in 2025 contributed to Colorado’s lowest population growth rate since 1989, 0.4%.  

Though migration to Colorado has been associated with the state’s legalization of cannabis in 2012, Colorado saw greater overall immigration and higher immigration rates through much of the 1990s. From 1992-2001, annual migration averaged just under 74,000 people annually, outpacing the natural population increase for 10 years straight. 

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