From KUNC (Bente Birkeland):
“Colorful Colorado” may one day need to be referred to as “Crowded Colorado,” given the number of people expected to soon move here.
Weld County’s population is expected to double to half-a-million – and El Paso County will still be the largest county. It’s not just the Front Range; A Rocky Mountain PBS I-News analysis of data from the state demographer and the U.S. Census Bureau shows seven of the 10 fastest growing counties will be on the Western Slope, including Eagle, Garfield and Routt.
The numbers show an estimated 7.8 million people will call Colorado home by 2040. All that growth will take a toll on the state’s infrastructure as well as water and other natural resources.
“Colorado continues to attract those in the 24-35 year age group and that means there’s jobs here and young people are coming from all over the country to fill those jobs,” said Mark Radke, with the Colorado Municipal League.
