By the year 2040, nearly 8 million people will call Colorado home. A new set of data shows the state’s population will grow by 40 percent.
Rocky Mountain PBS and I-News examined numbers from the Census Bureau and state demographer. They released the data last week.
It shows Garfield County’s population will surpass 100,000 people sometime between 2035 and 2040. The latest population count shows 57,302 people live in the county. Most of the Western Slope, led by Garfield County, will experience strong growth between now and 2040.
Pitkin County will add nearly 10,000 people in that time. Right now the population sits at 17,379 people.
Statewide, counties on the Western Slope show the highest percent of residents moving in from other states. Pitkin ranks high in attracting new residents from abroad. And most are staying put. The data shows 84 percent of residents did not move within the previous year. Garfield County was more transient with 79-percent of residents not moving.