More People Are Leaving Colorado as High Costs and Regulations Take Toll

By Vince Bzdek | Colorado Politics

It’s finally happened.

Buried in all the self-congratulatory reports about Colorado reaching the 6 million mark in population last year was news that should be keeping our political leaders up at night.

For the first time in 20 years, more people left Colorado to go to other states than moved here from elsewhere in the country, 12,100 more.

“More outs than ins,” the state demographer’s office said in a statement.

I’ve been dreading this moment for years.

Colorado’s total net migration – the number of people coming here versus the number of people leaving – has dropped by over 50% from 2015 to 2025. That means Colorado’s population growth has now slowed to its lowest level since 1989, according to the state demographer.

Colorado’s overall population still grew 0.4 percent thanks to international immigrants and a rising birth rate, but those increases masked the darker news that thousands of folks are leaving the state.

For example, the Denver Metro area saw a 69.6% decline in net migration relative to 2015, and Colorado Springs experienced a 29% decrease.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT COLORADO POLITICS