Census 2000- Colorado Cities: Latino Population Growth Since 1990 

Over the last 10 years, Colorado cities have experienced a dramatic demographic shift. The most prominent is the growth of the Latino population reported in Colorado from 1990 – 2000. State census data show that Latino now compose 18 percent of Colorado’s population, a 75 percent change from 1990. This research brief will highlight how state population changes are paralleled and often times exceeded by the population gains of Latinos in Colorado cities. 

The growth of a city’s population is an important indicator of stability and vitality. Cities serve as centers for business, government, education, and residential communities. A city’s demographic make-up is an important facto in ascertaining resident’s needs and inclusion in long-term planning. Publicly provided services, representation in government and planning for school districts are dependent on demographic data that include variables such as age, ethnicity, and gender.

The emergence of Latinos in Colorado cities is gaining the attention of policy makers, political parties, and the business community. The economic and social impact that Latinos have in cities has leaders responding to the needs of this community. This adds to a list of priorities for cities to address, including an aging baby boom population and an uncertain economy. These factors and others present a unique set of challenges for policy makers concerning the allocation of resources to each Colorado city. This is all the more important as the current Colorado economic crisis portends of state budget cuts impacting health and human services. Especially hard-hit will be Latinos who are low-income living in cities.

Data from census 2000 highlights how cities have changed and will continue to change with the influx of Latinos. Cities with minimal numbers of Latinos in Census 1990 dramatically increased their Latino population between 1990 and 2000. Some cities experienced modest gains in Latino population over the ten years, while only one Colorado city, Durango, experienced a decrease in Latinos over the 10-year period.

Latino population growth was most evident in the Denver area. Aurora, Broomfield, Edgewater, Federal Heights, Highlands Ranch, Parker, and Wheatridge were among Denver area cities where Latinos were part of a huge population boom. Cities along the Front Range and Eastern Plains – Brush, Evans, Fort Morgan, Longmont, and Pueblo West – share similar increases as the Denver area. The mountain communities of Avon, Carbondale, and El Jebel witnessed significant changes in population, while the Western slope community of Clifton followed with a major population increase of Latinos since 1990.

In 16 of the 60 cities included in this brief, the Latino population at least doubled since Census 1990. In the relatively small cities of Avon, Carbondale, El Jebel, Parker and Pueblo West, Latino populations grew 400 percent or more from 1990 Census to Census 2000. In Highlands Ranch, south of Denver, Latinos were ten times greater in Census 2000 than Census 1990.

Larger cities like Colorado Springs, Denver, Greeley, and Pueblo – four of the five largest Colorado cities – varied on their range of population growth among Latinos. Greeley, with the largest percent gain, incresed by 84 percent over the 10 year period.  Pueblo’s Latino population increased 16 percent between Census 1990 and 2000. Denver’s Latino population grew 64 percent and Colorado Springs witnessed similar growth with a 69 percent change. 

From our analysis, Census 200 city data provides a more detailed demographic picture than Colorado county data. In Research Brief #1, the county data showed significant gains in Latino population growth throughout Colorado’s 30 largest counties. Census 2000 city data highlights the greater population increases in cities, and how percent changes in these cities over the last 10 years varied from county data percent gains. City data suggests that population growth found in counties occurs as a result of rapid growht within particular cities rather than in the counties as a whole. Where rapid population growth occurs, without adequate planning and resource allocation, tensions may rise for a variety of reasons. 

The exisiting economic, educational, health, and political institutions in these Colorado cities have experienced transformations as a direct result of Latino population growth. In the 2000 Denver elections, two Latinos were elected to the school board for the first time in the city’s history. Of Denver Public School’ 72,617 students, 56 Latino are Latino, while some 15,660 are Spanish-speaking. The addition of Lucia Guzman and James Mejia to the seven member school board more accurately reflects the school district’s population. As the ethnic makeup of the school board becomes more diverse, the state is set for new strategies for policy discussions to improve Latino academic achievement and to decrease the epidemic drop-out rates among Latinos. 

The changing demographics as reported in Census 2000 clearly illustrates the importance of a growing Latino population on school districts, voting patterns, social services, and representation in government. The impact Latinos play in Colorado cities should be considered in upcoming elections, redistricting efforts, and city budgets. We hope this research brief and the data provided will help guide city governments and local communities to equitably plan for the integration of Latino needs into future political and economic agendas. 

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