Colorado is aging too fast for its systems

Colorado is one of the fastest-aging states in the country, while ranking in the bottom quarter nationally for affordability.

• The state now has more residents over the age of 60 than under 18, and that gap is projected to widen for decades.

Here's the deal: Demography underpins economics and politics. States that adapt to longer lives and longer careers will retain talent, sustain growth and manage costs. Those who don't will fall behind.

What you need to know: Leverage, a Colorado-based nonpartisan advocacy organization backed by Next50 Foundation, focuses on this gap, advocating for smart, equitable policies that make aging more affordable and align public systems with the realities of longer lives.

Why it's important: An aging population signals foreseeable downstream effects.

• When people live longer, work longer and retire later, systems designed for shorter lifespans begin to strain — especially in housing, health care, education and the workforce.
• As the ratio of working-age residents to retirees declines, demands for health care and long-term services will rise and housing needs will shift.

The impact: Affordability pressures don't hit as one large expense — they accumulate gradually, leaving many older Coloradans economically vulnerable.

• One in five older Coloradans lives at or below 200% of the federal poverty threshold, with higher rates in rural areas and communities of color.
• Nearly half live below the "Elder Index" — the income older adults need to meet their basic needs.
• Housing in Colorado costs roughly 20% more than the national average, with Denver costing 37% above the national average.

Here's what else: The impact extends beyond older adults to families, employers and public systems — all of whom absorb the financial, emotional and operational costs.

The solution: Colorado has an opportunity to embrace this reality and more effectively use demographic data to create better policies that support longer careers, stabilize housing, reduce involuntary retirements and better align existing programs.

Why now: The state's 2026 legislative session represents a convergence of pressures that are shaping Colorado's public policy landscape and communities, including:

• Federal cost shifts from HR 1.
• A structural deficit tied to the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR).
• A rapidly growing older population.
• Restrictive federal immigration policies.
• Ongoing affordability challenges.

Decisions made during the 2026 legislative session will influence whether Colorado integrates aging into economic planning — or continues operating systems built for a different era.

The details: Three policy areas are at the center:

• Workforce development: Executive order 2025-006 aims to align post-secondary systems in order to fill talent gaps as 40,000 workers retire annually and in-migration slows.
• Housing affordability: Protecting and expanding the Senior Property Tax Exemption — including portability — as costs squeeze fixed incomes and federal shifts increase budget strain.
• Long-term care: Meeting growing demand for long-term services and support through Area Agencies on Aging and Medicaid while immigration restrictions constrain the caregiving workforce and HR 1 drives up costs.

The takeaway: Aging is universal, but the economic strain associated with it does not have to be.

• The state's demographic future is already here. The question is whether Colorado's systems will keep pace.

Learn how Leverage is working to integrate demographic reality into policy planning.