Denver Population Statistics 2026 | By Age, Race, Gender, Growth & Facts

Denver’s population is 740,613 as of July 1, 2025, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimate, keeping it the largest city in Colorado and one of the 25 most populous cities in the country. That figure sits 3.5% above the city’s April 2020 count, though growth has slowed sharply after a strong rebound in 2023 and 2024.

Population of Denver 2026

Denver Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau describe a city that spent the first half of the decade recovering, then hit a sudden speed bump. As of July 1, 2025, the City and County of Denver held 740,613 residents, down 978 from the prior year’s estimate of 741,591. That small pullback follows two years of unusually strong growth, when Denver added nearly 25,000 residents between 2022 and 2024. The city remains 3.5% above its April 2020 base of 715,509, and it continues to hold its position as the largest city in Colorado by a wide margin.

Denver’s numbers matter well beyond city limits because the City and County of Denver functions as a single consolidated government, meaning every population figure published for the city doubles as the county figure too. The broader Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area, spanning ten counties, has grown to roughly 3.09 million people, making Denver’s core city population only about a quarter of the region it anchors. That relationship between the urban core and its fast-expanding suburbs shapes nearly every demographic and economic statistic that follows.

Interesting Facts About Denver Population 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025); American Community Survey

Denver’s population has grown by roughly 140,000 residents since the 2010 Census, one of the faster expansion rates among major Western U.S. cities over that period, even after accounting for the recent one-year dip. A median age of 35.3 years keeps Denver notably younger than many older East Coast cities, reflecting the city’s continued draw for young professionals working in tech, aerospace, and outdoor-recreation-adjacent industries.

These figures carry real weight for state and local planning. Denver’s median household income of $94,718 runs well above both the Colorado and national averages, a gap that has fueled ongoing debates over housing affordability as the city’s population growth outpaces new housing construction in several close-in neighborhoods. Transit expansion, school enrollment projections, and water rights allocations across the Front Range all lean on the same annual Census Bureau estimates cited here.

Denver Population by County 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates

Denver County narrowly edges out Arapahoe County as the most populous county in the metro region, though the gap between the two has been closing as growth in Aurora and the southeastern suburbs continues. Douglas County, anchored by Highlands Ranch and Castle Rock, has posted the fastest growth rate of the five core metro counties since 2020, at 11.6%, reflecting its reputation as one of the wealthiest and fastest-expanding suburban counties in the entire Mountain West.

Jefferson County, covering much of the western suburbs and foothills communities, is the only county among the five to have lost population since the 2020 Census, down 0.4%, a pattern tied to limited available land for new housing against the base of the Rockies. Net migration trends across the country help explain why counties like Douglas and Adams are absorbing more new residents while land-constrained counties like Jefferson lag behind, a dynamic detailed further in broader net migration data across the United States.

Denver Population by City 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates

Denver remains well ahead of every other Colorado city, but Colorado Springs and Aurora have both been closing the gap in relative terms in recent years, with Aurora in particular posting some of the fastest percentage growth of any large city in the state. Together, these five cities account for a large share of Colorado’s total urban population, anchoring the Front Range Urban Corridor that stretches from Fort Collins in the north to Colorado Springs in the south.

For readers comparing Denver’s scale against other major American cities, a broader look at the biggest cities in the United States by population shows that Denver, despite its cultural profile, ranks outside the top 20 nationally, smaller than cities like Nashville, Oklahoma City, and El Paso even though it dominates its own state so thoroughly.

Denver Population Growth Trend 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates; Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Denver’s population dipped immediately after the 2020 Census as pandemic-era remote work loosened the tie between where people lived and where they worked, pushing some residents toward cheaper mountain towns and neighboring states. The recovery that followed was unusually strong: Denver added nearly 25,000 residents combined in 2023 and 2024 alone, among the sharpest two-year rebounds of any major Western city.

That momentum broke in the most recent estimate year, when Denver recorded its first population decline since 2021, a loss of 978 residents. Demographers at the Colorado State Demography Office have linked the slowdown to a broader statewide pattern of easing in-migration, part of the same trend that pushed Colorado’s overall growth rate to 0.4% in 2025, slightly below the national rate for the first time in years.

Denver Population by Age 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts and American Community Survey

Denver skews notably younger than the national average, with only 12.5% of residents aged 65 and over, well below the roughly 19% figure recorded nationally. The city’s median age of 35.3 years reflects a population still heavily weighted toward working-age adults, many drawn by the outdoor lifestyle, growing tech sector, and relatively lower cost of living compared with coastal hubs like Seattle or San Francisco.

The comparatively small under-18 share of 18.0% points to a city that continues attracting young singles and couples more than families with children, many of whom relocate to surrounding suburban counties like Douglas and Jefferson once they start raising kids. That pattern helps explain why Denver’s own school enrollment has grown more slowly than the broader metro area’s population, even as the city’s overall numbers have climbed since 2020.

Denver Population by Gender 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates

Unlike most major U.S. cities, Denver has a slight male majority, with men making up 50.5% of the population against 49.5% for women. That reversal of the more typical female-majority pattern seen in most large American cities is tied partly to Denver’s younger age profile and its draw for single, working-age men employed in construction, logistics, and outdoor-industry jobs concentrated across the metro area.

The gender balance shifts noticeably in the oldest age brackets, where women outlive men on average and eventually make up a larger share of residents, mirroring the pattern seen nationally even in a city that skews male overall. City and county agencies factor this composition into planning for services ranging from workforce development programs to senior care, since the ratio shifts meaningfully once residents move past their thirties and forties.

Denver Population by Race and Ethnicity 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Population Estimates Program

Denver’s racial makeup is dominated by residents identifying as White alone, at 59.3%, though that figure drops to 54.0% once Hispanic White residents are excluded, underscoring how large a role the city’s Hispanic or Latino population, at 28.0%, plays in its overall demographic identity. That share is well above the roughly 13% figure that Colorado’s mostly rural counties post individually, reflecting Denver’s long history as the state’s primary Hispanic and Latino population center.

Denver’s 18.1% share of residents identifying as two or more races is notably higher than the national average of roughly 5%, a gap that reflects both a younger, more urban population and the city’s growing number of multiracial families. For a broader national comparison, recent figures on the US population broken down by race put these Denver numbers in context against the country as a whole, where White alone residents make up a larger overall share than they do within city limits here.

Denver Household and Income Statistics 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2020–2024

Denver’s median household income of $94,718 runs roughly 22% above the national median, a gap driven largely by the city’s highly educated workforce, where 56.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, well above both the state and national averages. Household size in Denver, at just 2.10 persons on average, is among the smallest of any large U.S. city, reflecting the high share of single professionals and young couples without children living within city limits rather than in the surrounding suburbs.

Housing costs have climbed in step with incomes, with a median home value of $616,000 citywide and fewer than half of households, 48.8%, owning rather than renting their homes. That combination of high renter share and steadily rising home values has made housing affordability one of the defining local political issues in Denver, prompting the city government to expand zoning for denser housing construction near transit corridors in recent years.

Denver Immigration and Foreign-Born Statistics 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2020–2024

Foreign-born residents make up 14.5% of Denver’s population, a smaller share than in coastal gateway cities like Los Angeles or New York but still a meaningful presence shaped heavily by Mexican, Central American, and more recently Venezuelan immigration into the metro area. Nearly a quarter of residents aged 5 and older, 23.9%, report speaking a language other than English at home, a figure concentrated heavily in neighborhoods across west and northwest Denver.

Denver’s veteran population, at 25,297 residents, reflects the city’s long-standing ties to the U.S. military through nearby installations including Buckley Space Force Base and Fort Carson farther south near Colorado Springs. Local resettlement agencies and refugee-service organizations have cited both the immigrant and veteran populations directly when requesting expanded funding from the city council heading into 2026, as demand for housing assistance and language services has grown alongside the city’s broader population increase.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Denver in 2026?

Denver had 740,613 residents as of July 1, 2025, the most recent official Census Bureau estimate. Calendar-year 2026 figures have not yet been published.

Is Denver’s population growing or shrinking?

Denver grew strongly in 2023 and 2024 but lost 978 residents between 2024 and 2025. The city remains 3.5% above its April 2020 population overall.

What is the largest city in Colorado?

Denver is by far the largest city in Colorado, with 740,613 residents, well ahead of second-place Colorado Springs at 494,743.

What percentage of Denver is Hispanic?

Hispanic or Latino residents make up 28.0% of Denver’s population, the largest ethnic minority group in the city.

What is the median age in Denver?

The median age in Denver is 35.3 years, younger than the U.S. median and reflecting the city’s draw for working-age adults.

What is the median household income in Denver?

Denver’s median household income is $94,718, according to the latest American Community Survey, about 22% above the national median.

How many people live in the Denver metro area?

The Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area, spanning ten counties, had approximately 3.09 million residents as of 2025, more than four times the population of the city of Denver alone.

What percentage of Denver’s population is foreign-born?

Foreign-born residents make up 14.5% of Denver’s population, according to the latest American Community Survey estimates.

Is Denver’s population majority male or female?

Denver has a slight male majority, with men making up 50.5% of the population compared to 49.5% for women, a reversal of the pattern seen in most large U.S. cities.

How many households are there in Denver?

Denver has approximately 335,428 households, with an average of 2.10 persons per household, one of the smallest household sizes among major U.S. cities.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.

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