finds

BY ELLIOTT WENZLER AND SANDRA FISH THE COLORADO SUN

Colorado’s smaller cities and towns saw the greatest growth from 2020 to 2022, new U.S. Census Bureau estimates show, while the state’s largest cities and ski towns saw declining or stable populations. e changes come as Colorado’s opulation ages and people search for more a ordable housing, state demographer Elizabeth Garner said. Keenesburg, a Weld County town along Interstate 76 about 40 miles northeast of Denver, logged the most growth with a 65% population explosion over two years. at town grew to 2,080 in 2022 from 1,258 in 2020.

In Elbert County, the population of Elizabeth rose from 1,717 to 2,285 from 2020 to 2022, a 33.1% increase. e census estimates released ursday are based on births, aths, people moving in and out umber of housing units, arner said. So they aren’t based urvey data like the census taken very 10 years or the annual American Community Survey conducted y the U.S. Census Bureau.

Previous estimates showed the state’s total population in 2022 at just over 5.8 million people, up about 1% since 2020.