State demography office: Pueblo County population is aging; growth to 2033 concentrated among 65+

Nancy Gideon, a demographer with the Colorado State Demography Office at the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, told the Pueblo County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 28 that Pueblo County’s population is aging and that most projected growth over the next decade will be among residents age 65 and older.

Gideon said Colorado remains a growing state but that growth has slowed in recent years because of falling birth rates, rising deaths and smaller net migration than in prior decades. She told commissioners the state is forecasting roughly 660,000 additional people by 2033 — an 11 percent increase — and that about 270,000 of those additional residents will be age 65 and older.

For Pueblo County specifically, Gideon said the office projects slower overall growth — about 5.6 percent between 2023 and 2033, or roughly 9,500 additional people — with nearly all of that increase in the 65-and-older cohort. She said the county has experienced a recent natural decrease, meaning deaths have outnumbered births in the past three to four years, even while the county has continued to see positive net migration in older age groups.

"We are here to answer your questions. We are here to provide service to all local governments in the state," Gideon said after her presentation, offering to share the slide deck and data with county staff.

Gideon explained several drivers behind the trends: births statewide peaked around 2007 and have declined since; deaths are rising as the population ages; and migration by age matters, because Colorado has typically attracted adults in their mid-20s to mid-30s while Pueblo has seen more in-migration among people 55 and older. She said county employment changes also track migration patterns; statewide job growth in professional and business services, health services and transportation and warehousing has been a strong factor in recent net migration.

Commissioners responded that the demographic findings matched local impressions. "I've always kinda thought that Pueblo could be viewed as a retirement community, if you will," one commissioner said, noting health care and amenities as local draws for older residents while younger residents often leave to find higher-paying jobs.

Gideon and commissioners discussed data sources and methods: birth and death counts come from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and births are assigned to the mother’s address, not the hospital. Gideon said the Census Bureau’s migration estimates draw on IRS tax filings and American Community Survey data and that a revised method for counting international migrants released in late 2024 raised recent international-migration totals.

Why it matters: an older population affects demand for health services, housing types, workforce size and county planning for services such as senior centers and labor recruitment. Gideon’s office forecasted that, if current trends continue, Pueblo will gain older residents while losing or holding steady smaller counts in most age groups under 45.

The presentation concluded with Gideon offering to provide data links to county staff and to answer follow-up questions.