The 17 core-based statistical areas in the U.S. State of Colorado.
The U.S. State of Colorado has 20 statistical areas that have been delineated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Statistical areas are important geographic delineations of population clusters used by the OMB, the United States Census Bureau, planning organizations, and federal, state, and local government entities.
On July 21, 2023, the OMB delineated three combined statistical areas, seven metropolitan statistical areas, and ten micropolitan statistical areas in Colorado.[1] The most populous of these statistical areas is the 12-county Denver–Aurora–Greeley, CO Combined Statistical Area with a United States Census Bureau estimated population of 3,752,505 as of July 1, 2024.[a]
The Denver–Aurora–Greeley, CO Combined Statistical Area, the Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, the Fort Collins–Loveland, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, the Pueblo-Cañon City, CO Combined Statistical Area, and the Cheyenne, WY Metropolitan Statistical Area comprise what is known as the Front Range Urban Corridor.
Statistical areas
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has designated more than 1,000 statistical areas for the United States and Puerto Rico.[3] These statistical areas are important geographic delineations of population clusters used by the OMB, the United States Census Bureau, planning organizations, and federal, state, and local government entities.
The OMB defines a core-based statistical area (commonly referred to as a CBSA) as the county or counties (or county-equivalents) surrounding at least one densely-settled core of at least 10,000 population,[3] "plus adjacent counties having a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured through commuting ties with the counties containing the core".[3] The OMB further divides core-based statistical areas based on population into metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) for those with at least 50,000 and micropolitan statistical areas (μSAs) for those with 10,000 to 49,999 people.[3]
The OMB defines a combined statistical area (CSA) as two or more adjacent core-based statistical areas where the employment interchange rate (% commuting from A to B plus % commuting from B to A) is at least 15%.[3] The primary statistical areas (PSAs) include all combined statistical areas and any core-based statistical area that is not a constituent of a combined statistical area.
Colorado statistical areas
The following table contains each of the 64 Colorado counties with their statistical areas and their population as estimated by the United States Census Bureau for July 1, 2024.
Colorado core-based statistical areas
The following table provides the in-state population rank of each of the 17 Colorado core-based statistical areas with their population histories.
| 2024 rank[a] | Core-based statistical area[1] | Population | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 estimate[a] | Change | 2020 Census[5] | Change | 2010 Census[6] | Change | 2000 Census[7] | ||
| 1 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA | 3,052,498 | +2.99% | 2,963,821 | +16.53% | 2,543,482 | +16.70% | 2,179,476 |
| 2 | Colorado Springs, CO MSA | 777,634 | +2.98% | 755,105 | +16.96% | 645,613 | +20.12% | 537,475 |
| 3 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO MSA | 374,574 | +4.32% | 359,066 | +19.84% | 299,630 | +19.14% | 251,494 |
| 4 | Greeley, CO MSA | 369,745 | +12.39% | 328,981 | +30.12% | 252,825 | +39.86% | 180,766 |
| 5 | Boulder, CO MSA | 330,262 | −0.15% | 330,758 | +12.29% | 294,567 | +9.19% | 269,784 |
| 6 | Pueblo, CO MSA | 169,866 | +1.01% | 168,162 | +5.72% | 159,063 | +12.42% | 141,490 |
| 7 | Grand Junction, CO MSA | 161,260 | +3.57% | 155,703 | +6.12% | 146,723 | +25.47% | 116,939 |
| 8 | Rifle, CO μSA | 79,810 | +0.97% | 79,043 | +7.49% | 73,537 | +25.33% | 58,675 |
| 9 | Durango, CO μSA | 56,823 | +2.13% | 55,638 | +8.38% | 51,334 | +16.78% | 43,957 |
| 10 | Edwards, CO μSA | 54,330 | −2.51% | 55,731 | +6.77% | 52,197 | +25.40% | 41,623 |
| 11 | Cañon City, CO μSA | 50,093 | +2.36% | 48,939 | +4.52% | 46,824 | +1.48% | 46,140 |
| 12 | Montrose, CO μSA | 44,806 | +4.98% | 42,679 | +3.40% | 41,276 | +23.44% | 33,438 |
| 13 | Steamboat Springs, CO μSA | 38,385 | +0.69% | 38,121 | +2.19% | 37,304 | +13.53% | 32,857 |
| 14 | Breckenridge, CO μSA | 38,251 | −0.62% | 38,491 | +9.03% | 35,304 | +12.53% | 31,374 |
| 15 | Fort Morgan, CO μSA | 30,300 | +4.08% | 29,111 | +3.38% | 28,159 | +3.63% | 27,172 |
| 16 | Alamosa, CO μSA | 27,924 | +2.15% | 27,336 | +0.41% | 27,225 | +0.74% | 27,026 |
| 17 | Sterling, CO μSA | 20,755 | −3.59% | 21,528 | −5.20% | 22,709 | +10.42% | 20,566 |
| The 17 Colorado core-based statistical areas | 5,677,316 | +3.26% | 5,498,213 | +15.56% | 4,757,772 | +17.76% | 4,040,252 | |
Colorado combined statistical areas
The following table provides the in-state population rank of each of the three Colorado combined statistical areas with their population histories.
| 2024 rank[a] | Combined statistical area[1] | Population | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 estimate[a] | Change | 2020 Census[5] | Change | 2010 Census[6] | Change | 2000 Census[7] | ||
| 1 | Denver-Aurora-Greeley, CO CSA | 3,752,505 | +3.56% | 3,623,560 | +17.23% | 3,090,874 | +17.52% | 2,630,026 |
| 2 | Pueblo-Cañon City, CO CSA | 219,959 | +1.32% | 217,101 | +5.45% | 205,887 | +9.73% | 187,630 |
| 3 | Edwards-Rifle, CO CSA | 134,140 | −0.47% | 134,774 | +7.19% | 125,734 | +25.36% | 100,298 |
| The 3 Colorado combined statistical areas | 4,106,604 | +3.30% | 3,975,435 | +16.16% | 3,422,495 | +17.29% | 2,917,954 | |
See also
- Bibliography of Colorado
- Geography of Colorado
- History of Colorado
- Index of Colorado-related articles
- List of Colorado-related lists
- Outline of Colorado
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d e Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas (July 21, 2023). "OMB BULLETIN NO. 23-01" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 2025. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "2020 Standards for Delineating Core Based Statistical Areas". Office of Management and Budget. July 16, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ^ "Colorado Counties (64 counties)". Colorado Department of Local Affairs. 2025. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
- ^ a b "PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS". U.S. Census Bureau. 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
- ^ a b "PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS". U.S. Census Bureau. 2010. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
- ^ a b "PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS". U.S. Census Bureau. 2000. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
