Cities That Most Denver Transplants Are Moving From

Thanks to a slowdown in birthrates, among other factors, Denver's population isn't growing as quickly as in years past — a trend that could lead to a wide range of challenges, including school closures and an increased dependence on transplants to keep the local economy strong. But a new study suggests that lately, Denver's gain in new arrivals of late has come at the expense of other places across Colorado, many of which are facing economic struggles of their own.

That's one of the takeaways from a report on the Stacker website regarding people finding new jobs in Denver after moving from somewhere else. The statistics are drawn from U.S. Census Bureau numbers focused on the first quarter of 2021, the most recent available.

Westword posts from 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 about the cities sending the most new residents to Denver all included Colorado locations, but never so many or so prominently as the 2021 roster. Of the twenty places on the list, the top five are in-state: Colorado Springs, Boulder, Fort Collins, Greeley and what's shorthanded as "non-metropolitan areas." Both Pueblo and Grand Junction also turn up.

The list of out-of-state communities that people are leaving is led by greater Los Angeles, with the metropolitan areas of Chicago, New York City and Dallas following close behind — which explains the prevalence of California, Illinois, New York and Texas license plates on Denver streets.

Keep reading for the twenty locations that lost people to the Mile High City, complete with details on net job increases and net job flow between cities. Note that this last metric typically favors Denver, but not always.

20. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Started a new job in Denver from Boston in Q1 2021: 176
36th most common destination from Boston
Started a new job in Boston from Denver in Q1 2021: 87
0.4 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 89 to Denver

19. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
Started a new job in Denver from Minneapolis in Q1 2021: 186
17th most common destination from Minneapolis
Started a new job in Minneapolis from Denver in Q1 2021: 141
0.6 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 45 to Denver

18. Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX
Started a new job in Denver from Austin in Q1 2021: 229
22nd most common destination from Austin
Started a new job in Austin from Denver in Q1 2021: 156
0.7 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 73 to Denver

17. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Started a new job in Denver from Seattle in Q1 2021: 238
22nd most common destination from Seattle
Started a new job in Seattle from Denver in Q1 2021: 195
0.9 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 43 to Denver

16. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA
Started a new job in Denver from Atlanta in Q1 2021: 248
38th most common destination from Atlanta
Started a new job in Atlanta from Denver in Q1 2021: 214
1.0 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 34 to Denver

15.  Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Started a new job in Denver from Washington in Q1 2021: 295
34th most common destination from Washington
Started a new job in Washington from Denver in Q1 2021: 154
0.7 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 141 to Denver

14. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
Started a new job in Denver from Phoenix in Q1 2021: 354
7th most common destination from Phoenix
Started a new job in Phoenix from Denver in Q1 2021: 504
2.3 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 150 to Phoenix

13. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Started a new job in Denver from Houston in Q1 2021: 360
31st most common destination from Houston
Started a new job in Houston from Denver in Q1 2021: 260
1.2 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 100 to Denver

12. Grand Junction, CO
Started a new job in Denver from Grand Junction in Q1 2021: 374
2nd most common destination from Grand Junction
Started a new job in Grand Junction from Denver in Q1 2021: 345
1.6 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 29 to Denver

11. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
Started a new job in Denver from San Francisco in Q1 2021: 388
32nd most common destination from San Francisco
Started a new job in San Francisco from Denver in Q1 2021: 146
0.7 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 242 to Denver

10. Pueblo, CO
Started a new job in Denver from Pueblo in Q1 2021: 434
2nd most common destination from Pueblo
Started a new job in Pueblo from Denver in Q1 2021: 503
2.3 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 69 to Pueblo

9. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Started a new job in Denver from Dallas in Q1 2021: 505
27th most common destination from Dallas
Started a new job in Dallas from Denver in Q1 2021: 502
2.3 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 3 to Denver

8. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
Started a new job in Denver from New York in Q1 2021: 518
36th most common destination from New York
Started a new job in New York from Denver in Q1 2021: 243
1.1 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 275 to Denver

7. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
Started a new job in Denver from Chicago in Q1 2021: 541
35th most common destination from Chicago
Started a new job in Chicago from Denver in Q1 2021: 244
1.1 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 297 to Denver

6. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Started a new job in Denver from Los Angeles in Q1 2021: 605
28th most common destination from Los Angeles
Started a new job in Los Angeles from Denver in Q1 2021: 352
1.6 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 253 to Denver

5. Greeley, CO
Started a new job in Denver from Greeley in Q1 2021: 1,334
1st most common destination from Greeley
Started a new job in Greeley from Denver in Q1 2021: 1,325
6.0 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 9 to Denver

4. Non-metropolitan area(s), CO
Started a new job in Denver from Non in Q1 2021: 1,415
2nd most common destination from Non
Started a new job in Non from Denver in Q1 2021: 1,438
6.5 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 23 to Non-metropolitan area(s), CO

3. Fort Collins, CO
Started a new job in Denver from Fort Collins in Q1 2021: 1,589
2nd most common destination from Fort Collins
Started a new job in Fort Collins from Denver in Q1 2021: 1,685
7.6 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 96 to Fort Collins

2. Boulder, CO
Started a new job in Denver from Boulder in Q1 2021: 2,620
1st most common destination from Boulder
Started a new job in Boulder from Denver in Q1 2021: 2,627
11.8 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 7 to Boulder

1. Colorado Springs, CO
Started a new job in Denver from Colorado Springs in Q1 2021: 2,930
2nd most common destination from Colorado Springs
Started a new job in Colorado Springs from Denver in Q1 2021: 3,014
13.6 percent of total new out-of-metro jobs
Net job flow: 84 to Colorado Springs