Immigration sparks metro population spike
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A spike in immigration contributed to a boom in metro Denver's population in recent years, per the U.S. Census Bureau.
Why it matters: An exodus of city dwellers rocked many U.S. metros during the COVID-19 pandemic, but some are now clawing back residents — along with their productivity, creativity and tax dollars.
Driving the news: Metro Denver grew by 2.8% from 2020 to 2024, reaching roughly 3 million people, per census data, for an area encompassing cities including Aurora, Denver and Lakewood.
Between the lines: Immigration helped fuel the latest population spike.
- Metro Denver witnessed a net international migration of 56,535 people — while 14,205 people left — between April 2020 to July 2024, per census data.
- Meanwhile, "natural change" (births outpacing deaths) contributed to population growth of roughly 46,000 people in the same time period.
The big picture: The number of people living in U.S. metro areas rose by almost 3.2 million between 2023 and 2024, the Census Bureau said this week — a gain of about 1.1%. Metro Denver also saw a 1.1% increase.
- By comparison, the total U.S. population rose by 1% during that time.
The intrigue: No city in America welcomed more migrants per capita over the last three years than Denver, with more than 40,000 arriving since 2022.
- Roughly 20,000 people, who primarily arrived from Venezuela, stayed in the metro area.
Context: Immigrants, both documented and otherwise, inject billions of dollars into the economy and pay millions in taxes each year.
The other side: Costs associated with providing taxpayer-funded health care to unauthorized immigrants in Colorado are rising, prompting some Republican state lawmakers to oppose the program.
What's next: Demographers and other researchers will be keeping a close eye on how Trump administration policies might affect immigration levels.