New state demographer discusses Colorado population trends
Freda Miklin reports a July 16 interview with state demographer Neal Marquez on migration, births and aging.
Freda Miklin ·
In a July 16 radio interview, Colorado’s new state demographer, Neal Marquez, said Colorado is unusual because most of its residents were born elsewhere in the United States. That differs from the pattern in many other states.
“Colorado is very much middle-of-the-pack in terms of population growth,” Marquez said. He added that “mobility overall has lessened; fewer people are making large moves,” and noted, “Since 2020, we have seen a lot more population” change tied to jobs and housing. “Jobs and housing availability and affordability are the big reasons.”
On immigration, Marquez said that before 2020, Colorado attracted significant international migration, though about 80% of in-migration still came from U.S. residents. From 2022 to 2024, that pattern changed sharply, with foreign-born residents accounting for more than 90% of new residents. In 2025, he said, immigration essentially stopped.
Birth rates have declined in Colorado among people ages 30 to 34, he said, and have increased among those older than 35. Colorado’s fastest-growing population group is people over 65. “When we think about what Colorado is going to look like in the next 10-20 years, most of the uncertainty comes from domestic migration of young working-age individuals,” Marquez said. He also said labor-force participation is rising in traditional retirement ages, and that health services is one job sector growing despite modest overall job growth.
Print source: The Villager, Vol. 44 No. 37, Aug. 6, 2026, page 7. Issuu edition.