Windsor tops state in population growth

WINDSOR — Half of Colorado’s fastest-growing communities with populations of 20,000 or more lie in Northern Colorado, with Windsor topping the list statewide.

Windsor added 7,637 new residents from April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2023, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Windsor’s population reached 40,349, up from 32,712 estimated on April 1, 2020.

The town, which straddles the Larimer and Weld county line, ranked No. 23 nationwide in terms of percentage population growth for communities of 20,000 or more population.

Other communities in the Top 10 in Colorado  included Erie, Brighton, Loveland and Greeley.

Ten fastest-growing larger communities in Colorado included:

1. Windsor, 23.3%, 40,349.
2. Erie, 17.3%, 35,269.
3. Castle Rock, 11.3%, 81,415.
4. Commerce City, 9.3%, 68,245.
5. Parker, 7.2%, 62,743.
6. Brighton, 5.8%, 42,477.
7. Grand Junction, 5.8%, 69,412.
8. Montrose, 5%, 21,333.
9. Loveland, 3.9%, 79,352.
10. Greeley, 3.5%, 112,609.

Rich Werner, president & CEO of Upstate Colorado Economic Development, said the population trends are not surprising.

“What is coming to fruition is everything that our demographers have predicted,” Werner said. “We’ve been talking about this growth for years, and the projections are becoming reality. So kudos to them for getting it right. It continues to create opportunity. It also continues to create necessary attention on things like infrastructure, improvements in infrastructure. It brings attention to the water issues we have, all of these different things that are necessary to accommodate this growth.”

Among communities of all sizes in Colorado, Northern Colorado once again claimed half of the Top 20 fastest-growing cities and towns, including:

• Keenesburg, 63.3%, 2,050.
• Timnath, 54%, 9,991.
• Ault, 40.8%, 2,666.
• Severance, 40.6%, 10,820.
• Mead, 34%, 6,450.
• Berthoud, 28%, 13,238.
• Windsor, 23.3%, 40,349.
• Frederick, 21.6%, 17,676.
• Fort Lupton, 18.5%, 9,447.
• Erie, 17.3%, 35,269.

Northern Colorado’s dominance in growth rates also was reflected in county population data released in March. Weld County added more new residents from April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023, than any other county in the state.

Weld County added 30,455 residents during that span, reaching a population of 359,442, a growth rate of 9.3%.

Larimer County ranked No. 5 in growth statewide, with one-year growth of 3,194 and growth of 11,697 since April 1, 2020. Larimer County’s population was estimated at 370,771 as of July 1, 2023.

Broomfield ranked No. 10 statewide in one-year growth, adding 665 residents, and No. 7 in residents added since April 1, 2020, at 2,755. Broomfield’s population is estimated at 76,860.

Boulder County lost population in those time frames, according to the latest estimates. The county saw a one-year decline of 508 residents and a loss of 3,928 since 2020. Boulder County’s population is estimated at 326,831.

Editor’s note: This article has been edited to include comments from Rich Werner.

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Editorial: Northern Colorado drives population growth in state

Christopher Wood

Christopher Wood is editor and publisher of BizWest, a regional business journal covering Boulder, Broomfield, Larimer and Weld counties. Wood co-founded the Northern Colorado Business Report in 1995 and served as publisher of the Boulder County Business Report until the two publications were merged to form BizWest in 2014. From 1990 to 1995, Wood served as reporter and managing editor of the Denver Business Journal. He is a Marine Corps veteran and a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder. He has won numerous awards from the Colorado Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists and the Alliance of Area Business Publishers.