Counties with the most born-and-bred residents in Colorado
In the first year of the pandemic, migration out of like New York and San Francisco was especially notable. Many where the weather is warmer and the cost of living significantly lower.
But by the second year of the pandemic, it became clear that not everyone who was moving wanted to go far. A 2024 analysis of movement out of crowded cities from the U.S. Census Bureau showed that many people leaving city centers in the same metro area. In the Phoenix metro area, for example, growth rates are higher in more distant suburbs of Maricopa, Casa Grande, Coolidge, and Eloy compared to Scottsdale and Mesa.
According to the latest data from the Census Bureau, released in September 2023, 53.5% of people who moved in 2022 and an additional 24.3% remained in state, meaning more than three-quarters of movers stuck close to home.
Many young people in particular are remaining in the state, town, or even house that they grew up in. Before the pandemic, the number of was on the rise and those patterns have continued. A late 2023 survey released by Lending Tree found that 57% of millennials and Gen Zers .
Many people choose not to leave the state they were raised in for reasons ranging from wanting to be , to to leave, to sticking with a lower cost of living.
In order to determine where people stay put in your home state, compiled a list of counties with the most born-and-bred residents in Colorado using data from the . Counties are ranked by the highest percentage of residents who were born in the state according to the latest data, which is 2023 five-year estimates. The percentage of residents who were born in another state, a U.S. territory, and another country is also included.
Read on to find out where the most loyal Colorado residents live.
#50. Park County
- Population: 17,739
- Born in Colorado: 5,911 (33.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 11,120 (62.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 299 (1.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 409 (2.3% of population)
#49. Custer County
- Population: 5,073
- Born in Colorado: 1,711 (33.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,124 (61.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 108 (2.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 130 (2.6% of population)
#48. Gunnison County
- Population: 17,158
- Born in Colorado: 5,872 (34.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 10,503 (61.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 288 (1.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 495 (2.9% of population)
#47. Clear Creek County
- Population: 9,358
- Born in Colorado: 3,374 (36.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,386 (57.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 193 (2.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 405 (4.3% of population)
#46. Douglas County
- Population: 368,283
- Born in Colorado: 135,167 (36.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 197,043 (53.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 5,917 (1.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 30,156 (8.2% of population)
#45. La Plata County
- Population: 56,088
- Born in Colorado: 20,608 (36.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 33,349 (59.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 706 (1.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,425 (2.5% of population)
#44. Broomfield
- Population: 75,110
- Born in Colorado: 27,648 (36.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 38,871 (51.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 736 (1.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 7,855 (10.5% of population)
#43. Denver
- Population: 713,734
- Born in Colorado: 270,191 (37.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 333,327 (46.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 11,369 (1.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 98,847 (13.8% of population)
#42. Grand County
- Population: 15,794
- Born in Colorado: 6,135 (38.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 8,834 (55.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 284 (1.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 541 (3.4% of population)
#41. Larimer County
- Population: 363,561
- Born in Colorado: 142,000 (39.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 197,624 (54.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 4,416 (1.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 19,521 (5.4% of population)
#40. Lake County
- Population: 7,411
- Born in Colorado: 2,903 (39.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,518 (47.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 112 (1.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 878 (11.8% of population)
#39. Arapahoe County
- Population: 655,709
- Born in Colorado: 257,898 (39.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 280,225 (42.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 12,582 (1.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 105,004 (16.0% of population)
#38. Chaffee County
- Population: 19,876
- Born in Colorado: 8,256 (41.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 10,747 (54.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 313 (1.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 560 (2.8% of population)
#37. Garfield County
- Population: 62,034
- Born in Colorado: 25,880 (41.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 26,015 (41.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 1,419 (2.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 8,720 (14.1% of population)
#36. Montezuma County
- Population: 26,204
- Born in Colorado: 11,201 (42.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 13,894 (53.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 267 (1.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 842 (3.2% of population)
#35. Dolores County
- Population: 2,385
- Born in Colorado: 1,028 (43.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,292 (54.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 37 (1.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 28 (1.2% of population)
#34. Fremont County
- Population: 49,394
- Born in Colorado: 22,267 (45.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 25,469 (51.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 570 (1.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,088 (2.2% of population)
#33. Jefferson County
- Population: 579,715
- Born in Colorado: 262,459 (45.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 273,849 (47.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 8,138 (1.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 35,269 (6.1% of population)
#32. Rio Blanco County
- Population: 6,518
- Born in Colorado: 2,999 (46.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,167 (48.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 23 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 329 (5.0% of population)
#31. Las Animas County
- Population: 14,392
- Born in Colorado: 6,749 (46.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 7,031 (48.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 126 (0.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 486 (3.4% of population)
#30. Costilla County
- Population: 3,571
- Born in Colorado: 1,685 (47.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,629 (45.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 33 (0.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 224 (6.3% of population)
#29. Montrose County
- Population: 43,272
- Born in Colorado: 20,868 (48.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 19,094 (44.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 412 (1.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 2,898 (6.7% of population)
#28. Huerfano County
- Population: 6,946
- Born in Colorado: 3,372 (48.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,467 (49.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 71 (1.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 36 (0.5% of population)
#27. Mesa County
- Population: 157,316
- Born in Colorado: 77,900 (49.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 71,781 (45.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 1,173 (0.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 6,462 (4.1% of population)
#26. Elbert County
- Population: 27,152
- Born in Colorado: 13,489 (49.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 12,419 (45.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 418 (1.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 826 (3.0% of population)
#25. Adams County
- Population: 524,408
- Born in Colorado: 268,196 (51.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 166,443 (31.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 8,538 (1.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 81,231 (15.5% of population)
#24. Saguache County
- Population: 6,511
- Born in Colorado: 3,334 (51.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,594 (39.8% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 67 (1.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 516 (7.9% of population)
#23. Delta County
- Population: 31,353
- Born in Colorado: 16,153 (51.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 13,941 (44.5% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 107 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,152 (3.7% of population)
#22. Moffat County
- Population: 13,258
- Born in Colorado: 6,842 (51.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,643 (42.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 129 (1.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 644 (4.9% of population)
#21. Baca County
- Population: 3,460
- Born in Colorado: 1,829 (52.9% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,455 (42.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 33 (1.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 143 (4.1% of population)
#20. Weld County
- Population: 340,711
- Born in Colorado: 181,155 (53.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 123,999 (36.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 4,590 (1.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 30,967 (9.1% of population)
#19. Jackson County
- Population: 1,422
- Born in Colorado: 779 (54.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 627 (44.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 0 (0.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 16 (1.1% of population)
#18. Sedgwick County
- Population: 2,346
- Born in Colorado: 1,315 (56.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 912 (38.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 7 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 112 (4.8% of population)
#17. Rio Grande County
- Population: 11,394
- Born in Colorado: 6,439 (56.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 4,297 (37.7% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 105 (0.9% of population)
- Born in another country: 553 (4.9% of population)
#16. Crowley County
- Population: 5,734
- Born in Colorado: 3,249 (56.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,308 (40.3% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 80 (1.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 97 (1.7% of population)
#15. Morgan County
- Population: 29,186
- Born in Colorado: 16,723 (57.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 8,750 (30.0% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 146 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 3,567 (12.2% of population)
#14. Cheyenne County
- Population: 1,732
- Born in Colorado: 998 (57.6% of population)
- Born in a different state: 569 (32.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 9 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 156 (9.0% of population)
#13. Logan County
- Population: 21,067
- Born in Colorado: 12,299 (58.4% of population)
- Born in a different state: 7,410 (35.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 368 (1.7% of population)
- Born in another country: 990 (4.7% of population)
#12. Lincoln County
- Population: 5,561
- Born in Colorado: 3,263 (58.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,066 (37.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 10 (0.2% of population)
- Born in another country: 222 (4.0% of population)
#11. Pueblo County
- Population: 168,726
- Born in Colorado: 102,849 (61.0% of population)
- Born in a different state: 57,145 (33.9% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 2,184 (1.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 6,548 (3.9% of population)
#10. Kit Carson County
- Population: 7,015
- Born in Colorado: 4,296 (61.2% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,201 (31.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 32 (0.5% of population)
- Born in another country: 486 (6.9% of population)
#9. Kiowa County
- Population: 1,356
- Born in Colorado: 842 (62.1% of population)
- Born in a different state: 466 (34.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 0 (0.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 48 (3.5% of population)
#8. Yuma County
- Population: 9,921
- Born in Colorado: 6,220 (62.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 2,123 (21.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 39 (0.4% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,539 (15.5% of population)
#7. Prowers County
- Population: 11,931
- Born in Colorado: 7,486 (62.7% of population)
- Born in a different state: 3,056 (25.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 94 (0.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 1,295 (10.9% of population)
#6. Phillips County
- Population: 4,491
- Born in Colorado: 2,887 (64.3% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,050 (23.4% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 12 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 542 (12.1% of population)
#5. Alamosa County
- Population: 16,515
- Born in Colorado: 10,706 (64.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 4,978 (30.1% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 135 (0.8% of population)
- Born in another country: 696 (4.2% of population)
#4. Bent County
- Population: 5,524
- Born in Colorado: 3,618 (65.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,746 (31.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 6 (0.1% of population)
- Born in another country: 154 (2.8% of population)
#3. Otero County
- Population: 18,460
- Born in Colorado: 12,519 (67.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 5,090 (27.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 114 (0.6% of population)
- Born in another country: 737 (4.0% of population)
#2. Washington County
- Population: 4,839
- Born in Colorado: 3,314 (68.5% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,314 (27.2% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 13 (0.3% of population)
- Born in another country: 198 (4.1% of population)
#1. Conejos County
- Population: 7,536
- Born in Colorado: 5,333 (70.8% of population)
- Born in a different state: 1,781 (23.6% of population)
- Born in U.S. territories: 75 (1.0% of population)
- Born in another country: 347 (4.6% of population)
