Colorado Springs' future is filled with potential
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Downtown buildings in Colorado Springs, captured in an aerial image taken with a drone, on Nov. 23. Photo: Brittany Peterson/AP
Colorado Springs is shedding its reputation as a quiet, conservative military town and transforming into a destination for young and educated newcomers.
Why it matters: The state's second biggest city, nestled at the edge of Pikes Peak, is stepping out from Denver's shadow and making a name for itself nationally thanks to its strong job market and access to the outdoors.
State of play: With a growing and diversifying population, the fabric of the community is changing — from its cost of housing to the way people vote.
- The shift is also spurring major developments, including an 8,000-seat amphitheater, medical center, over $2 billion in downtown investments and a citywide fiber-optic network.
What they're saying: "In the past, most people moved here for jobs. Now, it has become a city where more people are moving here because they want to," Amie Streater, real estate adviser and owner of Engel & Völkers Colorado Springs, told the Wall Street Journal in September.
By the numbers: The population of Colorado Springs has spiked 69% from 1992 to the estimated 2022 population of about 506,000, city documents show, with much of the recent growth driven by young adults.
- In the last five years, El Paso County grew 6.5% — making it the most populous county in Colorado.
- The Springs is expected to surpass Denver's population by 2050, state projections show.
Of note: Colorado Springs was named one of the top 10 places to live in the U.S. in 2022-23. And the Milken Institute listed it as one of the "best-performing," large U.S. cities for its job growth and economic stability.
The other side: Rapid growth is pushing local leaders to address the associated challenges, including a lack of affordable housing.
- The median rent in Colorado Springs soared 38% in the last four years, CPR reports, and experts say wages and housing construction haven't kept up.
- Meanwhile, the area still lacks diversity (77% of the population is white) and skews older, leading to a patchwork of contrasting cultural and social customs citywide.
The big picture: Colorado Springs remains overwhelmingly conservative — with nearly double the amount of Republicans registered to vote as Democrats — but its signature as a city dominated by military bases and megachurches is fading as new industries, like tech, take off in the remote-work era.
What to watch: With 47% of local voters now registering as unaffiliated, according to the El Paso County county clerk's office, the city once dubbed "The Evangelical Vatican" appears to be headed in a more moderate direction.