Broomfield, Fort Collins lead region’s cities in growth

Fort Collins grew a robust 2.7 percent from 2013 to 2014, reaching a population of 156,480. That’s according to the latest population estimates, as of July 1, 2014, that were released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Fort Collins ranks as the largest community in the combined Boulder Valley/Northern Colorado region. The city led communities in Northern Colorado in terms of its growth rate but was just behind Broomfield in the Boulder Valley. Broomfield, both a city and a county, grew to 62,138 residents, adding 1,832 from 2013 to 2014. That 3 percent growth rate made it the second-fastest-growing county in Colorado behind Gilpin, which grew by 5 percent. Among cities, Broomfield was the second-fastest-growing community in Colorado behind Castle Rock, which grew by 5.9 percent to 55,747 people.

Greeley added 1,872 residents from 2013 to 2014, reaching 98,596, an increase of 1.9 percent. Such numbers — based on data from last summer — strongly indicate that Greeley has already crossed the population threshold of 100,000.

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“Our planning department estimates that we did cross the 100,000 mark,” said Greeley city manager Roy Otto. “A lot of folks still think of Greeley as being a small agricultural community, and that’s not what Greeley is any longer.”

Otto said that while agriculture remains a very important component of the Greeley economy, the city has grown, along with its neighbor to the south, Evans.

He said Greeley’s growth has been fueled by a number of factors and industries, including the energy sector and a good pool of quality affordable housing.

“She’s a community that’s grown up a bit over the past few years,” Otto said.

Among other communities in the region, Loveland added 1,278 residents, for a population of 72,651, an increase of 1.8 percent.

Boulder added 1,642 residents, reaching a population of 105,112, up 1.6 percent.

Longmont’s population increased 0.3 percent, adding 299 residents, for a population of 90,237.

Weld County added 7,110 residents for a population of 277,870. That reflects a growth rate of 2.6 percent from a population of 270,560 the year prior.

Larimer County expanded by 7,628 residents to a population of 324,122, an increase of 2.4 percent from 316,494 in 2013.

Boulder County grew 0.9 percent, adding 2,937 residents, for a 2014 population estimate of 313,333. That was up from 310,396 in 2013.

Denver once again ranked as the most-populous county in Colorado, reclaiming the title from El Paso County. Denver’s 2014 population is estimated at 663,862, narrowly edging out El Paso County, with an estimated population of 663,519.