Colorado Migration Report: How the Centennial State’s Moving Patterns Stack Up
Colorado’s shifting landscape is undergoing a demographic trade-off. The 2025 Colorado Migration Report from HireAHelper reveals that despite attracting over 102,000 out-of-state newcomers, the Centennial State suffered a net loss of nearly 9,500 residents as outbound migration outpaced inbound moves. Driven primarily by high housing and living costs, middle-income earners and Baby Boomers are leaving—often heading to Texas and Florida. Meanwhile, affluent millennials and Gen X professionals continue to pour into the state, primarily from Texas and California. Read on to see how these economic pressures are reshaping Colorado's major metros and mountain towns.
Key Takeaways
- Colorado saw nearly 450,000 moves in the past year, but more people left than arrived, marking a net loss of 9,496 residents.
- Texas tops the list of states sending new residents to Colorado, accounting for 13.51% of inbound moves, as migration between the two states remains strong.
- Nearly one in four moves (22.78%) came from out of state, showing that Colorado still attracts newcomers despite rising housing costs.
- Millennials are driving Colorado’s inbound growth, making up 42.63% of new residents.
- Overall, wealthier millennials are moving into Colorado, while less wealthy Baby Boomers are moving out.
Daniel Cobb
Daniel Cobb is the a senior editor at HireHelper.com, where he combines nearly a decade of writing and editing experience with a personal passion for all things moving. A veteran of multiple DIY cross-country moves, Daniel has become a strong advocate for affordable, professional moving help. He now channels his hard-earned lessons into helping others avoid the pitfalls of DIY moving, making moving easier, safer, and less overwhelming.
Our Proprietary Data Source
This analysis is based on PGM’s database of 18,000,000 moves tracked between June 2024 and May 2025. Unlike studies that rely on outdated census releases or modeled estimates, this dataset reflects real moves over the past 12 months, making it one of the most current views of U.S. migration patterns available.
Colorado Migration at a Glance
In the past year, 102,498 adults moved to Colorado from out of state. That breaks down to an average of 8,542 monthly and 281 daily inbound moves.
When including all moves within state lines, 449,886 adults relocated to or within Colorado. Of these, 77.22% were moves within the state, while 22.78% came from out of state.
Despite steady inbound migration, Colorado saw a net population decrease of 9,496 residents, making it the 9th least popular state to move to in the past year. For reference, in 2018, Colorado was the 6th most popular state to move to in the U.S.
Colorado vs. U.S. Migration Trends
While many states saw overall population gains, Colorado’s outbound migration slightly outpaced inbound. For clarity, “inbound” refers to moves into Colorado from other states, while “outbound” refers to moves from Colorado to elsewhere.
The top five states people left to move to Colorado this year were Texas (13.51% of all inbound moves), California (11.67%), Florida (7.75%), Arizona (5.58%), and Illinois (3.37%). Together, these five states accounted for nearly half of all out-of-state moves to Colorado, underscoring the state’s continued draw for residents relocating from major Sun Belt and Midwestern regions.
The Most Popular Cities to Move to in Colorado
Colorado’s migration story continues to revolve around Denver, but this year’s data paints a more dynamic picture of movement across the state. The Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro area remained the top destination, welcoming 237,197 new residents in the past year — 18.88% of all moves statewide.
The top 5 metros:
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial - 237,197 (18.88%)
- Colorado Springs - 66,922 (8.19%)
- Fort Collins-Loveland - 30,206 (3.02%)
- Boulder - 27,184 (2.61%)
- Greeley - 25,623 (1.84%)
Trailing Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins-Loveland, Boulder, and Greeley rounded out the top five metros for inbound residents.
Outside the Front Range, smaller cities such as Grand Junction (1.01% of all inbound moves), Pueblo (0.59%), Rifle (0.41%), Durango (0.46%), and Montrose (0.29%) also drew new residents, signaling growing interest in more affordable and less densely populated regions of the state.
When it comes to net population gains, however, the momentum shifts away from the urban core. Greeley led the pack with a +2,027 net gain, followed by Steamboat Springs (+796) and Fort Collins-Loveland (+767). Even smaller mountain and regional hubs, including Grand Junction (+582), Breckenridge (+233), and Montrose (+190), posted steady growth, suggesting that lifestyle-driven moves are becoming more common.
Despite its ongoing popularity, the Denver metro area tells a different story. While it welcomed the largest share of new residents (18.88% of all inbound moves), it also saw the highest outflow of residents (16.10%), resulting in a net loss of 8,281 adults, the biggest loss of any Colorado metro. This churn reflects a growing trend of Coloradans seeking space, value, and balance outside the state’s busiest urban hub.
Migration Within Colorado
When looking at migration within Colorado, several clear relocation patterns emerge between the state’s biggest metro areas.
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO Metro
The Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro area drew the most new residents from Boulder (31.22%), followed by Colorado Springs (23.47%), Greeley (16.10%), and Fort Collins-Loveland (11.74%).
Smaller but still notable shares came from Pueblo (2.93%) and other parts of the state, underscoring Denver’s continued role as Colorado’s primary hub for new residents.
Colorado Springs, CO Metro
Meanwhile, Colorado Springs attracted the majority of its new residents from Denver-Aurora-Centennial (62.16%), indicating a significant flow of people moving south from the Denver metro area, likely seeking more affordable housing or a slower pace of life.
Other top contributors included Pueblo (12.40%), Greeley (3.78%), Fort Collins-Loveland (3.56%), and Boulder (3.48%).
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO Metro
For Fort Collins-Loveland, the most common origins were Greeley (35.05%) and Denver-Aurora-Centennial (34.86%), followed by Boulder (16.02%), Colorado Springs (5.38%), and Grand Junction (1.37%).
These trends highlight how interconnected Colorado’s Front Range communities are, with residents frequently moving between nearby metros while largely remaining within the same region of the state.
Who Is Moving to Colorado?
Demographically, Colorado’s inbound residents skew younger and career-focused. Millennials (42.63%) and Gen Xers (36.39%) together accounted for nearly 80% of all newcomers, signaling a strong migration of working professionals and families to the state.
Gen Z made up 4.73%, while Baby Boomers and Traditionalists comprised a smaller but still notable 16% combined, reflecting continued appeal among retirees drawn to Colorado’s scenery and active lifestyle.
States Sending the Most New Residents to Colorado
Colorado’s growing appeal continues to attract new residents from across the country, particularly from fast-growing or high-cost states. Of all people moving into the state, 22.78% came from outside Colorado, with the largest share arriving from Texas, followed by California and Florida.
States in the western and southern regions — Arizona (5.58% of all inbound moves), Washington (3.09%), and Georgia (2.39%) — also made strong showings, along with midwestern and east coast contributors like Illinois (3.37%), Virginia (2.94%), North Carolina (2.80%), and New York (2.42%).
This diverse mix underscores Colorado’s broad national draw, appealing to those seeking a balance between outdoor recreation, economic opportunity, and quality of life.
Who Is Leaving Colorado?
Colorado’s migration story isn’t just about who’s moving in, it’s also about who’s packing up and heading out. In the past year, the data reveals an emerging divide between generations and income levels: wealthier millennials are moving in, while Gen Xers and Baby Boomers are moving out.
This generational shift is compounded by an economic one. Outbound residents tend to earn less than those moving into the state. The majority of Coloradans leaving — 41.84% — earn between $51,000 and $100,000 annually, while only 31.42% earn between $101,000 and $200,000. Furthermore, the majority of those coming into the state earn between $101,000 and $200,000 followed by those earning $201,000 and $250,000.
In contrast, inbound residents skew wealthier, suggesting that rising housing and living costs may be pushing middle-income residents elsewhere even as higher earners continue to relocate to Colorado.
Metros Coloradans Are Leaving
The Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro area saw the largest outflow, with roughly 60,800 residents leaving in the past year, a reflection of both its massive population and its increasingly high cost of living. Other major metros experiencing outbound migration included Colorado Springs (22,341), Boulder (11,741), Fort Collins-Loveland (10,967), and Greeley (9,886).
Even smaller metros like Pueblo, Grand Junction, and Durango saw some residents depart, highlighting a broader statewide trend of Coloradans re-evaluating affordability and lifestyle priorities.
States Coloradans Are Moving To
When Coloradans leave, they’re often chasing affordability, sunshine, and opportunity. Texas (10.82% of all people leaving Colorado) tops the list of outbound destinations, likely attracting new residents with lower housing costs and strong job markets. Florida (8.21%) and Arizona (5.77%) follow closely behind, signaling continued interest in warm-weather, retirement-friendly states.
Other popular destinations include California (7.41%), North Carolina (3.77%), and Washington (3.49%), reflecting moves tied to career mobility, family connections, and regional relocation trends.
What Does the Future Hold?
Migration patterns suggest continued movement within the state, particularly between Denver, Colorado Springs, and surrounding metros. While more people left than entered in the past year, higher-earning millennials and Gen Xers are still choosing Colorado, signaling a potential rebound in the state’s long-term population trends.
Methodology
To examine Colorado’s migration patterns, we analyzed PGM’s proprietary database of 18,000,000 national moves recorded between June 2024 and May 2025. Each move in this dataset represents an actual relocation, providing a uniquely current perspective on the mobility trends of adults.
Our analysis focused on:
- Origins and destinations of adult moves,
- Intrastate versus interstate flows, and
- Demographic characteristics of people who are moving.
Unlike many studies that rely on outdated U.S. Census Bureau releases or modeled estimates from relocation calculators, this dataset reflects real moves as they occurred. As such, it represents one of the most up-to-date and reliable sources of migration data available in the United States in 2025.
In Partnership With PGM
PGM, part of the Porch Group of companies. PGM’s robust audience data helps businesses reach customers strategically.
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