Denver Population Growth: Most Newcomers Come From Colorado, Says Study

DENVER, CO -- The population of the Denver metro area has boomed from 2,554,864 to 2,853,077, between 2010 and 2016, according to US Census data for the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metropolitan statisical area. That's an increase of 298,213 residents, or almost 12 percent. Denver and the surrounding areas are the seventh-fastest growing large metropolitan region in the U.S.

In August, the US Census Bureau released data of metro-to-metro migration trends between 2011 and 2015. The numbers were crunched by LawnStarter Denver and Bellhops moving company.

Statistics showed 19 percent of new Denver residents in that time frame come from elsewhere in the state, with the most (9,340 or 6.5 percent) coming from Boulder. Colorado Springs sent 6,842 (4.67 percent) residents to Denver, while other migrants came from Greeley (4,803, or 3.34 percent) and Fort Collins (4,011 or 2.79 percent).

The data shows most newcomers are young (under age 34) and white.

Is this a trend of CU graduates heading south? About 63 percent of CU Boulder graduates stay in-state after graduation, said Julie Poppen, news director for CU Boulder. Other states to which graduates migrate include California (10%), Texas (3%), New York (3%) and Washington (2%).

But the study showed a reverse migration from Boulder as well, with 8,517 people leaving Denver to move to Boulder. The largest net loss cities, where more residents moved out of Denver than moved to the Mile High city included Greeley (-1,992) and Fort Collins (-1,629).

Out of state newcomers included 3,922 (2.73 percent) from Los Angeles, and 3,544 (2.4 percent) from Chicago. Dallas, Washington state, Phoenix and New York were the states with the highest numbers of immigrants to Denver. Eleven percent of new immigrants came from another country.

Take a look at the handy graphic below to dig into more data about Denver's population boom:

This graphic is brought to you by LawnStarter Denver