Everyone is getting older, of course. But for years 鈥� decades, actually 鈥� Colorado鈥檚 population was getting younger. As the state and its outdoor activities became a prime attraction for young professionals who moved here for a job and then started a family, a number of babies helped bring down the median age 鈥� at which half of the population is older and half is younger.
But there are being born and Colorado has seen down. Also, longtime Coloradans are retiring and staying put.
鈥淚t鈥檚 largely aging in place,鈥� said Kate Watkins, the state demographer who took on the role in December. 鈥淎nd we鈥檙e seeing lower birth rates across counties. Some of our more rural counties tend to have, on average, slightly higher fertility rates than more metropolitan areas. But across the board, we鈥檙e aging in place.鈥�
According to U.S. census data, the median age in Colorado back in 1950 was 29.5, dropped to and fell even lower by . It started heading up in the 1980s, getting old.
It鈥檚 now 38.5, according to the state demographer鈥檚 forecast, which is projected through 2050.
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