United States · state

Colorado population 2026

Q: What is the population of Colorado in 2026?

The latest official figure is 6,012,561, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, Colorado would have about 6 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Colorado has 6,012,561 people on the latest official figure, for 1 July 2025, 24,059 more than a year earlier (+0.40%). It is 20th of the US’s 50 states and DC by population, home to 1.8% of the US’s people.

If last year’s change continues: about 6 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.

Colorado in numbers

Population: 6 million 1 July 2025
Change in a year: +0.40% +24,059 people
Change since 2020: +3.90% from 5.8 million
Share of the US: 1.8% 20th of 50 states and DC
Population density: 22per km² 268,419 km²
Births in the year: 65 thousand deaths: 45 thousand
International migration: +15 thousand net arrivals from abroad
Moves within the US: −12 thousand more people left than moved in

In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 20,608, 15,356 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 12,100 more people moved to the rest of the US than moved in.

That is about as many people as Denmark (6 million).

Population of Colorado by year

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Population
2010	5,047,539
2011	5,121,900
2012	5,193,660
2013	5,270,774
2014	5,352,637
2015	5,454,328
2016	5,543,844
2017	5,617,421
2018	5,697,155
2019	5,758,486
2020	5,786,873
2021	5,814,368
2022	5,853,355
2023	5,912,240
2024	5,988,502
2025	6,012,561

Year	Population	Change	%
2025	6,012,561	+24,059	+0.40%
2024	5,988,502	+76,262	+1.29%
2023	5,912,240	+58,885	+1.01%
2022	5,853,355	+38,987	+0.67%
2021	5,814,368	+27,495	+0.48%
2020	5,786,873	+28,387	+0.49%
2019	5,758,486	+61,331	+1.08%
2018	5,697,155	+79,734	+1.42%
2017	5,617,421	+73,577	+1.33%
2016	5,543,844	+89,516	+1.64%
2015	5,454,328	+101,691	+1.90%
2014	5,352,637	+81,863	+1.55%
2013	5,270,774	+77,114	+1.48%
2012	5,193,660	+71,760	+1.40%
2011	5,121,900	+74,361	+1.47%

2010–2019 are Vintage 2020 estimates and 2020–2025 are Vintage 2025, so the step between 2019 and 2020 is partly a change of base.

Colorado among the US’s states

Full ranking →

States of the US by population
#
1	California	39,355,309	−0.02%	11.5%	98
2	Texas	31,709,821	+1.25%	9.3%	47
3	Florida	23,462,518	+0.84%	6.9%	169
4	New York State	20,002,427	+0.01%	5.9%	164
5	Pennsylvania	13,059,432	+0.10%	3.8%	113
6	Illinois	12,719,141	+0.13%	3.7%	89
7	Ohio	11,900,510	+0.34%	3.5%	113
8	Georgia (US State)	11,302,748	+0.88%	3.3%	76
9	North Carolina	11,197,968	+1.32%	3.3%	89
10	Michigan	10,127,884	+0.28%	3.0%	69
11	New Jersey	9,548,215	+0.44%	2.8%	501
12	Virginia	8,880,107	+0.69%	2.6%	87
13	Washington State	8,001,020	+0.92%	2.3%	47
14	Arizona	7,623,818	+0.89%	2.2%	26
15	Tennessee	7,315,076	+0.88%	2.1%	69
16	Massachusetts	7,154,084	+0.22%	2.1%	354
17	Indiana	6,973,333	+0.56%	2.0%	75
18	Missouri	6,270,541	+0.43%	1.8%	35
19	Maryland	6,265,347	+0.32%	1.8%	249
20	Colorado	6,012,561	+0.40%	1.8%	22
21	Wisconsin	5,972,787	+0.26%	1.7%	43
22	Minnesota	5,830,405	+0.57%	1.7%	28
23	South Carolina	5,570,274	+1.46%	1.6%	72
24	Alabama	5,193,088	+0.58%	1.5%	40
25	Louisiana	4,618,189	+0.07%	1.4%	41
26	Kentucky	4,606,864	+0.50%	1.3%	45
27	Oregon	4,273,586	+0.19%	1.3%	17
28	Oklahoma	4,123,288	+0.62%	1.2%	23
29	Connecticut	3,688,496	+0.38%	1.1%	294
30	Utah	3,538,904	+1.02%	1.0%	17
31	Nevada	3,282,188	+0.88%	1.0%	12
32	Iowa	3,238,387	+0.25%	0.9%	22
33	Arkansas	3,114,791	+0.60%	0.9%	23
34	Kansas	2,977,220	+0.40%	0.9%	14
35	Mississippi	2,954,160	+0.14%	0.9%	24
36	New Mexico	2,125,498	−0.06%	0.6%	7
37	Idaho	2,029,733	+1.44%	0.6%	10
38	Nebraska	2,018,006	+0.62%	0.6%	10
39	West Virginia	1,766,147	−0.07%	0.5%	28
40	Hawaii	1,432,820	−0.15%	0.4%	86
41	New Hampshire	1,415,342	+0.48%	0.4%	61
42	Maine	1,414,874	+0.46%	0.4%	18
43	Montana	1,144,694	+0.63%	0.3%	3
44	Rhode Island	1,114,521	+0.37%	0.3%	416
45	Delaware	1,059,952	+0.94%	0.3%	210
46	South Dakota	935,094	+0.86%	0.3%	5
47	North Dakota	799,358	+0.75%	0.2%	5
48	Alaska	737,270	+0.10%	0.2%	1
49	District of Columbia	693,645	+0.34%	0.2%	4,381
50	Vermont	644,663	−0.29%	0.2%	27
51	Wyoming	588,753	+0.35%	0.2%	2

Largest cities in Colorado

City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.

Denver729,019
Colorado Springs456,568
Aurora359,407
Fort Collins170,924
Lakewood152,597
Thornton133,451

Air quality in Colorado today

Hourly AQI and a 48-hour forecast.

Denver

Questions

What is the population of Colorado in 2026?

The latest official figure is 6,012,561, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, Colorado would have about 6 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Is Colorado’s population growing or shrinking?

It grew by 24,059 people (+0.40%) in the latest year, and has changed +3.90% since 2020. In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 20,608, 15,356 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 12,100 more people moved to the rest of the US than moved in.

How does Colorado rank in the US?

Colorado is 20th of the US’s 50 states and DC, with 1.8% of the people. California is the largest, with 39.4 million.

What is the population density of Colorado?

About 22 people per km², on 268,419 km². Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer.

What is the largest city in Colorado?

Denver, with about 729 thousand people in the city proper. Metro areas are larger, and years differ (GeoNames).

Source and method

US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. US government work, public domain. Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for the US, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.

Cite this page: Colorado population, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/united-states/colorado/

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