VOLUME 59 | ISSUE 42
WEEK OF MAY 25, 2023
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State sees growth in smaller communities
CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES
Larger cities level off, Census Bureau finds BY ELLIOTT WENZLER AND SANDRA FISH THE COLORADO SUN
Tossing their hats in the air, Horizon High School’s class of 2023 celebrate their graduation May 17 at the CU Event Center. See PHOTO BY SCOTT TAYLOR more graduation coverage beginning on page 5, plus local graduates offer their opinions on page 18.
CALENDAR: 11 | VOICES: 12 | LIFE: 14 | SPORTS: 22
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. The changes come as Colorado’s population ages and people search for more affordable 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. That 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. The census estimates released Thursday are based on births, deaths, people moving in and out and the number of housing units, Garner said. So they aren’t based on survey data like the census taken every 10 years or the annual American Community Survey conducted by 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. SEE CENSUS, P23
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DISKS, SKATES AND WALLS, OH MY! Unique sports abound across Front Range
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