April 20, 2026

Colorado’s Waning Popularity: Census Figures Show Domestic Outflow

Introduction

Colorado’s former status as a popular destination for movers from other states continues to deteriorate, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau figures. This could bolster Colorado’s declining popularity among businesses and potentially stifle economic growth if left unaddressed.

Formerly, Colorado’s population growth was among the nation’s highest, driven both by healthy natural growth and by hundreds of thousands of movers from other states. In the mid-2020s, that domestic migration has dried up, though foreign immigration slightly complicates the picture. Colorado’s recent population growth was sustained mainly by a low death rate and foreign immigration.

This trend has serious implications for future economic success. Colorado’s birth rate is not producing a high enough supply of workers to fill upcoming and existing jobs. Its domestic migration slowdown no longer imports them, either.

This could potentially compound an already-occurring loss of economic activity. CSI’s Free Enterprise Competitiveness Index has shown in the past several years that Colorado is facing declining business and economic momentum, even while its nominal economic standing is healthy compared to other states. Colorado ranked 17^th in overall free enterprise competitiveness in 2024, down from a ranking of 10^th in 2011. Policymakers should consider how to avoid a situation in which the two trends feed into each other: businesses leave as fewer skilled and educated workers are available, and fewer people move from other states as high-paying jobs become scarcer.

Key Findings

Colorado gained 20 times more people from net migration in 2015 than it did in 2025.

From July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, Colorado ranked:

• 21^st for population growth – 24,059 added to population
• 29^th for population growth as share of population
•  42^nd for net migration
•  42^nd for net migration as share of population
•  44^th for domestic migration
•  48^th for domestic migration as share of population
•  21^st for international migration
•  29^th for international migration as share of population
•  21^st for births per population
•  47^th for deaths per population

Between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015, Colorado ranked:

• 7^th for population growth
• 2^nd for population growth as share of population
•  5^th for net migration
•  4^th for net migration as share of population
•  3^rd for domestic migration
•  3^rd for domestic migration as share of population
•  19^th for international migration
•  39^th for international migration as share of population