Northern Colorado boasts nine of the 20 fastest-growing communities in Colorado, according to population estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Census Bureau estimates population for municipalities annually. The current data reflects estimated population as of July 1, 2022.

Since the April 1, 2020 Census, Larimer and Weld counties — which accounted for much of the state’s net population growth, according to estimates released at the end of March — include nine communities with population growth ranging from almost 66% in Keenesburg to nearly 12% in Firestone.

Keenesburg in southeast Weld County includes 2,080 residents, according to the estimate, compared with 1,256 recorded during the Census.

Firestone in southwest Weld County includes 18,314 residents, up 11.8% from 16,375 recorded during the Census.

Other Northern Colorado communities in the Top 20 for growth since the Census include:

• Timnath, up 44%, to 9,344 residents.
• Severance, up 37.7%, to 10,581 residents.
• Ault, up 32%, to 2,495 residents.
• Mead, up 30%, to 6,244 residents.
• Berthoud, up 23%, to 12,710 residents.
• Frederick, up 18%, to 17,158 residents.
• Windsor, up 17.7%, to 38,510 residents.

The same communities rank within the Top 20 communities for one-year population growth, from July 1, 2021, to July 1, 2022.

Elsewhere in Colorado, Castle Rock recorded the fastest population growth among cities of 50,000 or more residents from 2020 to 2022, increasing 9.6%, from 73,156 to 80,191 residents. The city ranked No. 22 nationwide for percentage growth in that category.

Population estimates for other larger communities in the Boulder region and Northern Colorado::

• Broomfield, up 2.7%, to 76,121.
• Loveland, up 2%, to 77,884.
• Greeley, up 0.4%, to 109,209.
• Longmont, down 0.2%, to 98,687.
• Fort Collins, down 0.3%, to 169,249.
• Westminster, down 1.5%, to 114,533.
• Boulder, down 2.6%, to 105,485.