Research Corner: Census Bureau releases 2025 municipal population estimates

The Census Bureau recently published the July 1, 2025, municipal population estimates for municipalities, highlighting population changes for incorporated places across the U.S. (note: The Colorado State Demography Office will publish its vintage 2025 population estimates in October).

These figures are important to communities across the state as they factor into formula and grant funding, determine how municipalities plan for growth, and help leaders understand overall trends. In order to calculate municipal population estimates, demographers distribute county populations (determined as births - deaths +/- net migration) among municipalities by the number of housing units in each jurisdiction. More  housing construction, paired with population growth at the county levels are good indicators of growth at the municipal level.

Municipalities with the greatest growth rates between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025:

Municipalities with the greatest change in population between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025:

Johnstown had the 10^th highest percentage change in population among places across the U.S. with populations greater than 20,000.

According to this census data, more than half of Colorado’s municipalities declined in population since 2020. The three municipalities with the largest rates of population decrease over the last five years are Walden, Jackson County with a 13% decline, Silver Plume in Cleark Creek County losing 10.4% of its population, and Vail in Eagle County, with a population decline of 9.2%.

From July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, municipalities with the greatest numeric population decreases are all Front Range cities with populations of 100,000 people or more. These cities include Boulder, Centennial, Denver, and Pueblo. Since 2020, three cities have seen population decreases of more than 1,000:  Arvada, Boulder, and Pueblo.