New census figures show where Colorado grew amid the pandemic

Weld and Elbert counties on the outreaches of the Denver metro area continue to show the fastest growth in the metro area, new census figures show.

Driving the news: Denver, Jefferson, and Boulder counties saw their populations dip 1% or less as all other metro counties grew from 2020 to 2022, an Axios analysis found.

• Weld, home to Greeley, saw its population increase by 5.7%, while Elbert on the southeastern edge grew by 6.1%.

Why it matters: The new census numbers show how Colorado changed in the first two years of the pandemic.

The big picture: The state's population increased to 5.84 million in 2022, a roughly 1% bump compared to 2020. The percentage growth is the 18th-largest in the U.S. over that time period.

• Eight of the 10 fastest-growing counties in Colorado by percentage were rural, led by San Juan and Custer, both with a 13% increase.
• Twenty counties saw population declines of 1% or more.

What they're saying: "Within the state as a whole, the growth in 2021 and 2022 was slower than we had anticipated," state demographer Elizabeth Garner told the Denver Post.

What to watch: "We are projecting faster growth (in coming years) — really on this idea that we've got job growth," she added. "We need workers. We will attract those workers to the state."