The demographic shift Colorado needs to plan for now
A message from: Leverage
Colorado's next governor and legislature will take office as the state's population continues to age rapidly, reshaping the debates over housing, jobs, health care and the state budget.
The background: Colorado already has more residents over 60 than under 18, and nearly 1 million Coloradans are 65 or older.
- The state's over-80 population is expected to more than triple over the next two decades.
Why it's important: The impact of Colorado's aging population will extend far beyond programs traditionally associated with older adults — it will change who participates in Colorado's workforce, what housing communities need and how families provide care.
- These changes will not be evenly distributed across regions and communities, and the state needs more than just a one-size-fits-all approach.
The 2026 election gives Colorado leaders an opportunity to address that reality before demographic pressure forces more expensive responses.
Here's the deal: Leverage Colorado, an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit, wants demographic change to play a larger role in the economic and policy decisions that shape the state.
The State Demography Office produces population forecasts through 2060, giving policymakers information about age, geography, migration and labor-force participation.
- Leverage believes those forecasts must play a more consistent role in how leaders design budgets, housing policies and public services.
Here's why: Colorado cannot maintain economic growth by assuming a steady supply of younger workers to replace people as they retire — its demographic pipeline is tightening on multiple fronts.
- The state's child population is shrinking.
- Migration patterns are changing.
- People ages 75–85 are expected to record some of the state's strongest growth over the next decade.
Colorado's demographic changes will affect future demand for public services and the revenue available to fund them, but three areas show how quickly those can become everyday economic issues:
1. Workforce participation
The state's economic competitiveness will increasingly depend on whether people who want or need to work later in life can stay in the labor force.
- That means building workforce systems that serve people throughout longer careers, including mid- and late-career workers who need new skills or pathways into growing industries.
2. Caregiving capacity
Colorado also needs enough paid caregivers to meet rising demand without pulling more family caregivers out of the workforce.
- A shortage of paid caregivers will limit older adults' independence while also forcing family members to reduce their hours or leave jobs to provide care themselves.
3. Housing affordability
Where people can afford to live will shape both aging in place and the state's labor market.
- Older adults need homes they can afford and age insafely as their needs change.
- Workers need housing close enough to jobs to support local economies.
- Families need options that allow relatives to live near one another if and when caregiving becomes necessary.
The impact: If leaders plan for these issues separately or wait until pressure builds, they risk solving one problem while ignoring another.
That is the gap Leverage is working to close: connecting demographic trends to decisions about affordability, economic security, public services and state finances.
The takeaway: Colorado won't be able to predict every challenge its next leaders will face, but it does know its population is changing and that carries with it predictable impacts.
- The 2026 election is a chance to plan around that reality — so the state can remain affordable, economically competitive and financially sustainable for people at every age.