State determines which Colorado regions will grow the fastest through 2050

Northern Colorado and the Western Slope will claim larger shares of Colorado’s population as the state adds 3 million new residents over the next three and a half decades, according to state forecasts.

Greeley and Fort Collins will more than double in population and the Western Slope will grow by two-thirds by 2050, the State Demography Office predicts, while Denver, Boulder, Pueblo and the central mountain resorts will grow at slower rates. Also, Colorado Springs will overtake a built-out Denver as the state’s largest city.

Between 2015 and 2050, Colorado will add the equivalent of another metro Denver, on its way to 8.46 million residents. Though it’s a lot of people, the state’s rate of growth actually is predicted to slow during that period as the baby boomer generation moves on.

State and local officials use the forecasts to plan for growth, a hot topic as Colorado’s roads, housing market and environment strain from an influx of out-of-state migrants.

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