2020 Census Results: Here's How Littleton Grew

LITTLETON, CO — Colorado's population has grown by 14.8 percent over the past decade, according to the U.S. Census 2020, which released its final results Thursday.

Colorado grew at almost twice the rate of the rest of the nation: the U.S. on the whole saw the population grow by 7.4 percent.

Littleton population growth:

• 15.5 percent over the past decade.
• 2010 Census population total: 41,737.
• 2020 Census population total: 45,652.

Colorado's population increased between 2010 and 2020 by 744,518 residents to a total of 5,773,714, the data shows.

Census data also gives some insight into the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis in Colorado's largest cities — while the state population grew 14.8 percent, available housing only grew 12.6 percent over the past decade.

Denver saw the largest numeric population growth in our state, swelling by 115,364 residents to reach a total of 715,552 in 2020. El Paso and Arapahoe counties were not far behind: El Paso grew by 108,132 residents to 730,395, and Arapahoe grew by 83,067 to a population of 655,070. Adams County's population grew by 77,969 to reach a total of 519,572.

Colorado counties with highest percentage change in population between 2010 and 2020:

1. Broomfield: 32.6 percent
2. Weld: 30.1 percent
3. Douglas: 25.4 percent
4. Mineral: 21.5 percent
5. Larimer: 19.8 percent
6. Denver: 19.2 percent
7. Larimer: 19.8 percent
8. Adams: 17.7 percent
9. El Paso: 17.4 percent
10. Elbert: 12.9 percent

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Across the U.S., almost all of the growth of the past 10 years happened in metropolitan areas. More people in smaller counties moved to larger counties. Around 80 percent of metropolitan areas saw population gains, while less than half of the smaller so-called micropolitan areas did.

The share of children in the U.S. declined because of falling birth rates, while it grew for adults, driven by aging baby boomers. Adults over age 18 made up more than three-quarters of the population in 2020, or 258.3 million people, an increase of more than 10 percent from 2010. However, the population of children under age 18 dropped from 74.2 million in 2010 to 73.1 million in 2020, a 1.4 percent decrease.

The housing growth rate slowed between 2010 and 2020, the result of a hangover from the 2008 housing bust. The total number of housing units in the U.S. grew by 6.7 percent over the decade — about half the rate of growth during the previous decade.

Reporting and writing from The Associated Press was used in this report.