After a net loss of almost 7,000 residents due to domestic migration in 2022, the following year saw a net gain of nearly 31,000 people in Colorado, according to a new analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data just released by StorageCafe.
Colorado ranked eighth in the nation, the study shows, despite being the only state in the top ten where people moved from places with cheaper housing.
The largest influx of new Coloradans in 2023 came from Texas. That year, over 34,000 Texans moved to Colorado, even though home prices here were 85 percent higher, with 40 percent of those incoming Texans purchased homes in Colorado not long after relocating, according to the study.
Gen Z, Millenials and Silent Generation Moving to Colorado
Another breakdown of the numbers was along generational lines. Colorado hit the top ten for net domestic migration when it came to new residents among the youngest and oldest adults: Generation Z, Millennials and the Silent Generation.Colorado came in sixth among states that saw a net migration of Gen Zers, with a gain of 12,770. For Millennials, Colorado was fourth, with a net migration of 22,812. And for the Silent Generation, Colorado was eighth, with a net migration of 1,315.
The net migration of Generation X and Baby Boomers didn't make the top ten. Colorado took 22nd place with Gen Xers, with a net migration of 1,117 to Colorado in 2023, while Baby Boomers scored a net negative: 8,069 more of them left Colorado than moved here that year.
An intriguing stat involves Oklahoma, a state that shares just 53 miles of border with Colorado. StorageCafe determined that Colorado came in third out of all states that sent residents to Oklahoma in 2023, with 6,300 Coloradans pulling up roots and moving to the Sooner State. Among those Coloradans who moved to Oklahoma, 38 percent of them were Boomers.
These numbers come on the heels of a U-Haul Growth Index report in January that measured a related set of data for 2024. That study found that more people used U-Haul to enter Colorado than to leave. However, the split was 50.3 percent arrivals to 49.7 percent departures, the biggest drop of any state between 2023 and 2024.
The StorageCafe study cites typical reasons why people continue moving to Colorado, including a strong job market for remote workers and lots of outdoorsy lifestyle choices.
