Colorado Springs is a city located in El Paso County Colorado. Colorado Springs has a 2024 population of 491,441. It is also the county seat of El Paso County. Colorado Springs is currently growing at a rate of 0.57% annually and its population has increased by 2.31% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 480,331 in 2020.
The average household income in Colorado Springs is $102,139 with a poverty rate of 10.41%. The median age in Colorado Springs is 35.1 years: 34 years for males, and 36.5 years for females.
Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado and sits at the base of Pikes Peak, one of the most famous mountains in the Americas.
While Colorado Springs is a large city with much land, it still faces the same problems of any city with fast growth: congested roads, crime, and budget issues. Despite its problems, it was chosen in 2006 by Money magazine as the number one Best Big City to live in and earned the first place in Outside magazine's 2009 list of America's Best Cities.
Colorado Springs has enjoyed steady growth since the earliest census in 1870, with the slowest growth occurring from 1910 to 1920 (just 3.5%). Since then, every census has reported double-digit growth in The Springs.
Still, the number of people moving to the area from other parts of the country has slowed, and demographers believe it may be signs of a troubled economy. There may be some association between the local city-wide ban of recreational cannabis retail stores - while there are over 100 medical cannabis dispensaries in the city.
The most substantial growth in recent years has come from births and from abroad, especially soldiers returning home. In 2010, a survey estimated 3,800 people moved to El Paso County in the last year, compared to just 777 two years later. According to some experts, the region has been one of the slowest to recover from the recession, and job growth isn't as strong as other areas in Colorado.
The Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance is already moving quickly to reverse this trend and focusing on areas that work well with the community, particularly sporting, defense and aerospace industries. The city is also working harder to increase tourism to its region, believing that once people visit for the scenery and lifestyle, they'll want to settle in Colorado Springs to stay.
The area of Pikes Peak was first inhabited by Arapahoe, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Ute Indians, who gathered each year at present-day Garden of the Gods park. General William Palmer, a Civil War General, first came to the area in 1870 and founded Denver, the Rio Grande Railroad and Colorado Springs a year later. He worked to lay out the plans for the city and donated land for schools and churches, envisioning the area as a resort destination, hence the town's first nickname: Little London.
The gold rush of the 1890s led to a settlement just west of Colorado Springs, and the town quickly became the "city of millionaires" by the beginning of the 19th century. By 1904, 35 of the country's 100 millionaires had come from the gold that was mined out of the area.
A Fort Carson Army installation was constructed in the city in the 1940s, and Colorado Springs still has a strong military presence to this day with the Peterson Air Force Base, the US Air Force Academy, US Space Command and more. Colorado Springs has posted positive population growth since its founding, with particularly strong growth during the 1960s and 70's when most large cities in the US were losing people to the suburbs. The crime rates are unusually high in Colorado Springs especially in regards to robbery and assaults.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Colorado Springs was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 351,990 | 73.39% |
Two or more races | 55,048 | 11.48% |
Black or African American | 28,869 | 6.02% |
Other race | 22,113 | 4.61% |
Asian | 15,057 | 3.14% |
Native American | 5,239 | 1.09% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 1,296 | 0.27% |
White
Two or more races
Black or African American
Other race
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 193,149 | 2.44 | 61.1 | 38.9 |
Married | 91,989 | 3.06 | 76.9 | 23.1 |
Non Family | 71,438 | 1.32 | 46.2 | 53.8 |
Female | 19,909 | 3.25 | 47.5 | 52.5 |
Male | 9,813 | 3 | 48.6 | 51.4 |
2.99
Average Family Size
2.44
Average Household Size
61.1%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 11,488 | 3.56% |
Associates Degree | 34,041 | 10.53% |
Bachelors Degree | 79,365 | 24.56% |
Graduate Degree | 53,457 | 16.54% |
High School Graduate | 62,492 | 19.34% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 6,829 | 2.11% |
Some College | 75,454 | 23.35% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 229,180 | 222,082 | 105,700 |
Hispanic | 48,749 | 40,866 | 10,600 |
2+ Races | 27,957 | 25,577 | 8,817 |
Black | 18,451 | 17,251 | 5,439 |
Other Race | 13,666 | 10,717 | 2,402 |
Asian | 10,808 | 9,482 | 4,515 |
Native American | 3,398 | 2,885 | 763 |
Islander | 996 | 922 | 478 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 96.9%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among islander people with a rate of 47.99%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $58,970 | $73,932 | $46,798 |
Graduate Degree | $78,814 | $102,344 | $60,791 |
High School Graduate | $36,735 | $42,093 | $30,307 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $31,460 | $37,166 | $24,774 |
Overall | $48,406 | $57,187 | $40,425 |
Some College | $42,022 | $49,950 | $36,453 |
$48,406
Average Earnings
$57,187
Average Male
$40,425
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
87.88% of Colorado Springs residents speak only English, while 12.12% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 7.68% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 312,606 | 26,080 | 8.34% |
Hispanic | 87,342 | 14,069 | 16.11% |
Multiple | 53,775 | 7,632 | 14.19% |
Black | 27,589 | 4,125 | 14.95% |
Other | 22,067 | 3,687 | 16.71% |
Asian | 14,818 | 1,417 | 9.56% |
Native | 5,029 | 1,049 | 20.86% |
Islander | 1,289 | 29 | 2.25% |
10.41%
Overall Poverty Rate
9.18%
Male Poverty Rate
11.65%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Colorado Springs is Native, with 20.86% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Colorado Springs is Islander, with 2.25% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.36%. Among those working part-time, it was 14.66%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 17.8%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 24.41% |
High School | 12.45% |
Some College | 9.63% |
Bachelors or Greater | 4.14% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Female Unemployed | 31.02% |
Male Unemployed | 26.87% |
Female Employed | 6.45% |
Male Employed | 5.15% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $95,492 | $119,234 |
Households | $79,026 | $102,139 |
Married Families | $111,487 | $135,981 |
Non Families | $51,420 | $67,236 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
49.9%
Overall Marriage Rate
51.0%
Male Marriage Rate
48.9%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
53,299
Number of Veterans
44,788
Male Veterans
8,511
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Second Gulf War | 22,819 |
First Gulf War | 19,935 |
Vietnam | 13,835 |
Korea | 1,942 |
World War II | 318 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
35 to 54 | 17,386 |
55 to 64 | 10,452 |
65 to 74 | 9,526 |
18 to 34 | 8,417 |
75+ | 7,518 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 41,586 | 15.16% |
Hispanic | 5,639 | 9.71% |
Black | 4,579 | 21.59% |
2+ Races | 3,547 | 10.72% |
Other Race | 1,736 | 10.95% |
Asian | 1,093 | 9.21% |
Native American | 596 | 15.27% |
Islander | 162 | 15.56% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
6.48%
Veteran Poverty Rate
24.92%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
68.3%
Labor Force Participation
61.5%
Employment Rate
5.6%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
32.1%
Born in Colorado Springs
92.47%
Native Born
7.53%
Foreign Born
3.39%
Non Citizen
4.14%
Naturalized
92.47% of Colorado Springs residents were born in the United States, with 32.1% having been born in Colorado. 3.39% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 505,330 | 2,778 | 0.55% |
2028 | 502,552 | 2,778 | 0.56% |
2027 | 499,774 | 2,777 | 0.56% |
2026 | 496,997 | 2,778 | 0.56% |
2025 | 494,219 | 2,778 | 0.57% |
2024 | 491,441 | 2,777 | 0.57% |
2023 | 488,664 | 2,360 | 0.49% |
2022 | 486,304 | 2,935 | 0.61% |
2021 | 483,369 | 3,038 | 0.63% |
2020 | 480,331 | 2,296 | 0.48% |
2019 | 478,035 | 4,860 | 1.03% |
2018 | 473,175 | 7,255 | 1.56% |
2017 | 465,920 | 6,707 | 1.46% |
2016 | 459,213 | 9,250 | 2.06% |
2015 | 449,963 | 7,335 | 1.66% |
2014 | 442,628 | 4,088 | 0.93% |
2013 | 438,540 | 5,480 | 1.27% |
2012 | 433,060 | 5,473 | 1.28% |
2011 | 427,587 | 6,861 | 1.63% |
2010 | 420,726 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 360,890 | 79,750 | 28.37% |
1990 | 281,140 | 66,035 | 30.7% |
1980 | 215,105 | 79,588 | 58.73% |
1970 | 135,517 | 65,323 | 93.06% |
1960 | 70,194 | 24,722 | 54.37% |
1950 | 45,472 | 8,683 | 23.6% |
1940 | 36,789 | 3,552 | 10.69% |
1930 | 33,237 | 3,132 | 10.4% |
1920 | 30,105 | 1,027 | 3.53% |
1910 | 29,078 | 7,993 | 37.91% |
1900 | 21,085 | 9,945 | 89.27% |
1890 | 11,140 | 6,914 | 163.61% |
1880 | 4,226 | -501,104 | -99.16% |