DENVER — The U.S. Census Bureau released its latest state population estimates this week, and the numbers show Colorado poised to gain a congressional seat in the next decade.
The state's booming population, combined with slower growth or population decreases in other states, means the Centennial State will likely go from seven to eight U.S. House members.
The Census Bureau estimates that Colorado gained 729,000 residents — a roughly 15% population uptick — since the 2010 census, according to the new figures, bringing the estimated population to 5.76 million.
What's less clear is who in the state will benefit from the gain in congressional representation. That will be determined in 2021 when the process of congressional redistricting takes place after the official 2020 census is complete.
Every 10 years, the Census Bureau counts every person in the country, then congressional seats are reapportioned to each state in order to ensure proportional representation. Once the reapportionment is calculated, each state has to go through the redistricting process to draw their congressional districts for the following 10 years.
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