Census numbers show Mesa County keeps growing

Tim Whitney

The Mesa County population has grown 6.1 percent to 155,000 between the 2010 and 2020 census even as 16 other Colorado counties experienced declining populations.

Colorado Demographer Elizabeth Garner presented information about population and economic trends at the Western Colorado Economic Summit in Grand Junction. 

For those who didn’t get a chance to attend, I’d like to share some of her report about trends for the United States, Colorado, Mesa County and Grand Junction.  

Since the U.S. Census Bureau recently released 2020 data, I’ve also included some additional statistics.

In Mesa County, 78 percent of the population growth between 2010 and 2020 occurred in Grand Junction. Because Grand Junction has grown faster than the county since 2000, it has a larger proportion of the total county population — from 36 percent in 2000 to 42 percent in 2020.

Colorado now has nearly 5.8 million people, a 14.8 percent increase from the 2010 census. Because of the increased population, the state gained an eighth seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

The 2020 census pegged the U.S. population at a little more than 331 million, a 7.4 percent an increase since 2010 that was the second slowest growth rate on record.  The U.S. population grows, but at a slower pace.  

Growth in housing units also slowed in the past decade, while the housing vacancy rate declined. The population of metropolitan areas grew by 9 percent, resulting in 86 percent of the population living in metro areas in 2020.

Here are some fun facts about our nation:

The largest county in 2020 remained Los Angeles County with more 10 million people.

The largest incorporated city in 2020 remained New York with 8.8 million people.

312 of 384 metro areas gained population between 2010 and 2020, while 52 percent of counties saw their populations decrease.

The fastest-growing metro area between the 2010 and 2020 census was The Villages in Florida, where the population increased 39 percent from about 93,000 people to about 130,000 people.

In summary, Grand Junction is still trending as a good place in which to live and work.