HomeMy WebLinkAbout20212597.tiffThe Weld County Population &
Development Report
Demographic Statistics and Trends for Weld County, Colorado
Maintained in compliance with Section 22-1-20 of the Weld County Code
Updated as of December 31, 2020
Repo r+S
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2021-2597
Table of Contents
Weld County Overview 3
Acreage & Climate 4
County Population Overview 5
Economic Overview 7
Transportation Overview 9
Real Estate & Housing 11
Development Trends (Unincorporated Area) 13
Oil and Gas 16
Weld County Small Business Incentive Plan (SBIP) 17
Page 2
Weld County Overview
Weld County is located on the Front Range in Northern Colorado between the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains, approximately
40 miles east of the Continental Divide. The County ranges in elevation from approximately 4,400 feet above sea level on Pawnee
Creek at the eastern edge of the County to approximately 6,200 feet at the Pawnee Buttes on the Pawnee National Grassland. The
County has a number of valuable streams, creeks, and rivers including the Big Thompson, the Cache la Poudre, and the St. Vrain, all
of which flow into the South Platte. These rivers facilitate a water system that delivers water to farmland throughout the County through
some of the largest and most complex reservoir and irrigation systems in the world.
The County consists of approximately 3,992 square miles and is the third largest in the state, making it also twice the size of the State
of Delaware. Weld County is bounded on the west by Larimer and Boulder Counties, on the east by Morgan and Logan Counties, on
the south by Adams and Broomfield Counties, and on the north by Laramie County, Wyoming, and Kimball County, Nebraska.
The County seat and largest city in Weld County is the City of Greeley, located within an hour's drive of the majestic Rocky Mountains
and six major municipalities including Denver, and home to the University of Northern Colorado.
Page 3
Photo: Jennifer Finch
Acreage & Climate
Municipal Boundaries in Weld County
Acreage
Town
U nincorporated
Weld County
Ault
Berthoud*
Brighton*
Dacono
Eaton
Erie*
Evans
Firestone
Fort Lupton
Frederick
Garden City
Gilcrest
Greeley
Grover
Hudson
Johnstown*
Keenesburg
Kersey
LaSalle
Lochbuie
ie
Longmont*
Mead
Milliken
N ew Raymer
N orthglenn*
N unn
Pierce
Platteville
Severance
2018
2,422,516
1,081
3,790
1,559
5,355
2,018
9,076
6,740
9,083
7,138
9,540
73
518
31,115
382
3,822
5,350
2,210
1,313
616
2,234
3,589
8,199
8,208
502
624
2,380
537
1,988
5,836
Thornton* 8
Timnath* 348
Windsor* 12,963
* Multi -County Places (Acres
Numbers include right-of-way
(Source: Weld County GIS)
Page 4
2019 2020
2,419,443 2,415,796
1,083
3,790
1,559
5,639
2,018
9,076
6,740
9,121
7,846
9,733
73
518
31,205
382
3,836
5,362
2,664
1,313
616
2,234
3,589
8,428
8,208
502
624
2,536
1,176
1,988
5,743
8
348
13,312
within Weld
1, 083
3, 790
1, 559
5,639
2, 018
9, 480
6,755
9,178
8, 059
9, 733
73
518
31,205
382
3,836
5,362
4,833
1,313
616
2,234
3,589
8,813
8,209
502
624
2, 536
1,176
1, 988
5, 836
8
657
13,312
County only)
Average
Tern pe ratu re
July: 76.5°F
January: 31.2°F
(Source: NOAA/NWS for Greeley, CO)
Average Annual First & Last Average Growing
Precipitation Average Frost Season
14.94"
May 6
October 8
143 days
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County Population Overview
As of the 2020 Census, approximately 328,981 people live in Weld County, which represents 5.7% of the total state population of
5,773,714. Among the 64 counties in Colorado, Weld County ranks ninth in total population. Between 2010 and 2020, the County
population grew by over 30%, the second fastest growing county in the state by percentage, and an average annual increase of 3%. The
state as a whole grew by 14.8% over the decade. The population of Weld County increased by 76,129, the fifth fastest growing county
by numbers. For the population under the age of 18, Weld County ranks seventh and was the fastest growing county by far both in
numbers and by percentage for the decade.
A review of historical U.S. Census data reveals a steady increase in the County population every decade from 1870 to 2020, except for
the 1930s, when it declined by 2%. Weld County's average annual percentage increase between 1960 and 2020 was 2.9%.
The state Demography Office projects population growth in the County to slow but remain much higher than that of the state as a whole.
In 2050, Weld County's projected population is over 676, 000, almost 9% of the projected state population of 7,895, 000. Weld County is
projected to be the fifth most populous county in the state at that point.
Weld County Population
Page 5
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
800,000
• 700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Population a a a Projected
0
Weld County Population, Births, Deaths, and Migration
Year
Population
Births minus
deaths
Net
Migration
Total
Change
%
Change
1970
89,297
1980
123,436
10,924
23,215
34,139
38.2%
1990
131,821
14,094
-5,709
8,385
6.8%
2000
180,936
14,832
34,283
49,115
37.3%
2010
252,852
25,299
46,617
71,916
39.7%
2020
328,981
23,825
52,304
76,129
30.1%
(Source: State Demography Office)
Weld County Projected Population
Year
Population
%
Change
Average
Annual %
2025
383,958
16.7%
3.3%
2030
443,431
15.5%
3.1%
2035
505,828
14.1%
2.8%
2040
569,559
12.6%
2.5%
2045
644,943
13.2%
2.6%
(Source: State Demography Office)
Population Characteristics: 2020
Weld County
% of total
Colorado
% of total
Under 18
87,148
26.5%
3,602,251
21.9%
18+
241,833
73.5%
744,581
78.1%
(Source: State Demography Office)
Weld County was the fasting growing county in Colorado
between 2010 and 2020 for the population under 18.
The number of children in Weld County increased by 23.8%
(16,747) compared to just 3.1% (38,529) for the state as a
whole.
Weld County's increase represents 43.5% of the state's total
increase in children over the decade.
Weld County Municipal Populations
1980
1990
2000
2010
2019
Ault
1,056
1,107
1,432
1,525
1,843
Berthoud*
-
-
16
63
215
Brighton*
-
17
154
347
454
Dacono
2,321
2,228
3,015
4,181
5,928
Eaton
1,932
1,959
2,690
4,384
5,707
Erie
1,231
1,244
2,009
9,882
15,307
Evans
5,063
5,877
9,514
18,651
21,140
Firestone
1,204
1,358
1,908
10,249
15,639
Fort Lupton
4,251
5,159
6,787
7,454
8,312
Frederick
855
988
2,467
8,735
13,943
Garden City
123
199
357
235
248
Gilcrest
1,025
1,084
1,162
1,038
1,101
Greeley
53,006
60,454
76,930
93,262
108,633
Grover
158
135
153
138
149
Hudson
698
918
1,565
2,370
1,891
Johnstown
1,535
1,579
3,827
9,445
12,743
Keenesburg
541
570
855
1,131
1,237
Kersey
913
908
1,389
1,459
1,637
LaSalle
1,929
1,803
1,849
1,967
2,337
Lochbuie
895
1,168
2,049
4,806
7,218
Longmont*
-
-
24
33
676
Mead
356
456
2,017
3,440
4,677
Milliken
1,506
1,605
2,888
5,634
8,113
Northglenn*
-
-
12
12
13
Nunn
295
324
471
418
468
Pierce
878
823
884
837
1,153
Platteville
1,662
1,515
2,370
2,499
3,010
Raymer
80
98
91
96
107
Severance
102
106
597
3,204
6,235
Thornton*
-
-
-
-
-
Timnath*
-
-
-
-
13
Windsor*
4,277
5,062
9,612
14,171
23,083
Unincorporated
35,542
33,001
41,832
42,564
50,533
Weld County
123,438
131,821
180,936
254,230
323,763
* Multi -County Places (figures above are within Weld County only)
2020 figures were not available at the time of publication.
(Source: State Demography Office)
Page 6
Economic Overview
Weld County is the most agriculturally productive county in the state according the USDA Census of Agriculture. Weld County's total
commodity sales were over $2 billion in 2017, more than twice the next highest county in the state (Yuma) and over one -quarter the
state's overall value.
Agricultural Production
1997
2002
2007
2012
2017
Change 2012 to 2017
# of Weld farms/ranches
3,142
3,121
3,921
3,525
4,062
15.2%
# of Colo. farms/ranches
30,197
31,369
37,054
36,180
38,893
7.5%
Weld % of state
10.4%
9.9%
10.6%
9.7%
10.4%
Weld acres of cropland
883,623
878,101
987,892
850,179
922,979
8.6%
Colo. acres of cropland
10,787,080
11,530,700
11,483,936
10,649,747
11,056,259
3.8%
Weld % of state
8.2%
7.6%
8.6%
8.0%
8.3%
Weld irrigated acres
397,752
326,494
327,836
299,892
323,436
7.9%
Colo. irrigated acres
3,374,233
2,590,654
2,867,957
2,516,785
2,761,173
9.7%
Weld % of state
11.8%
12.6%
11.4%
11.9%
11.7%
Weld commodities total
$1,289,479,000
$1,127,854,000
$1,539,072,000
$1,860,718,000
$2,047,177,000
10.0%
Colo. commodities total
$4,553,732,000
$4,525,196,000
$6,061,134,000
$7,780,874,000
$7,491,702,000
-3.7%
Weld % of state
28.3%
24.9%
25.4%
23.9%
27.3%
(S
Economic Development
Weld County has identified four internal driving sources for future economic growth:
I. Energy Resources
A. Mining
B. Wind- and solar -powered energy
C. Greenhouse emission innovations
D. Biogas
E. Water recycling (oil and gas)
II. Open Entrepreneurship Marketplace
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
Page 7
No County sale tax
Hispanic businesses
Telecommunications/fiber optics
Professional and business services
The self-employed
Unmet market opportunities
Incubators (firms, universities, and linking networks)
Home -based businesses
III. Growth
A. High growth rate
B. Half a million people by 2035
C. Healthy, growing, young labor force
D. Attractiveness for retirees
IV. Location
A. 1 of 12 counties along the "Front Range Megapolitan," the
confluence of two or more major metro areas.
B. Proximity to Denver International Airport, Rocky Mountains, and
Denver metro area
C. Two interstates (1-25 and 1-76), two US highways (US 85, US 34),
state highways, and County Road 49 (considered a county highway)
to facilitate growth and transportation
D. Northern Front Range cities, the University of Northern Colorado,
and Aims Community College
Per Capita Personal Income
Year Weld County Change Colorado Change
2010 $33,092 $40,689
2011 $35,055 5.9% $43,575 7.1%
2012 $37,088 5.8% $45,669 4.8%
2013 $38,793 4.6% $47,311 3.6%
2014 $42,283 9.0% $50,711 7.2%
2015 $43,925 3.9% $52,254 3.0%
2016 $43,745 -0.4% $52,475 0.4%
2017 $44,479 1.7% $55,604 6.0%
2018 $48,035 8.0% $58,896 5.9%
2019 $50,198 4.5% $61,157 3.8%
(Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, US Department of Commerce)
Unemployment Rates
Year Weld County Colorado
2010 9.2% 8.7%
2011 8.6% 8.4%
2012 7.8% 7.9%
2013 6.6% 6.9%
2014 4.5% 5.0%
2015 3.8% 3.9%
2016 3.4% 3.3%
2017 2.7% 2.8%
2018 2.9% 3.2%
2019 2.5% 2.8%
2020 6.8% 8.4%
(Source: Colorado Department of Labor and Employment)
Page 8
Weld County Employment by Sector
Sector
Total Jobs
Agriculture
Mining
Utilities
Construction
Manufacturing
Wholesale trade
Retail Trade
Transportation and warehousing
Information
Finance activities
Real estate
Professional, scientific/technical
services
Management of companies,
enterprises
Administrative support and waste
management
Education
Health Services
Arts, entertainment and recreation
Accommodation and food services
Other services, except public admin.
Government
(Source: State Demography Office)
2010 2019 Change
104,982 147,090 40.1%
6,006 6,421 6.9%
3,339 8,945 167.9%
266 425 59.8%
9,169 16,121 75.8%
10,614 14,848 39.9%
3,547 4,648 31.0%
9,410 12,900 37.1%
3,132 6,147 96.3%
1,081 953 -11.8%
3,952 3,666 -7.2%
2,997 4,233 41.2%
4,167 6,500 56.0%
66.7%
1,112
5,289
908
9,290
1,526
6,011
6,627
16,539
1,854
8,199 55.0%
1,858 104.6%
11,200 20.6%
2,180 42.9%
9,101 51.4%
8,342 25.9%
18,547 z 12.1%
Transportation Overview
Interstate 1-25, US 85, and Weld County Road 49 provide for north/south transit up and down the Front Range corridor. US 34 and
State Highways 14, 52, and 392 facilitate east/west transit. 1-76 provides for broader east/west travel. The highway and road system
in the County is managed by the Colorado Department of Transportation, the County, and the 32 municipalities, with the County
maintaining 2,906 miles of publicly maintained county roads. The total amount of County -maintained roads decreases as roads are
annexed to municipalities.
County
Roads
2019
Miles
2020
Miles
Change
Paved
743
748
0.7%
Gravel
2,174
2,158
-0.7%
Total County
Maintained
2,917
2,906
-0.4%
(Source: Weld County Department of Public Works)
In addition, there are currently 471 miles of State Highway system roads maintained by CDOT.
State Highway system roads
Miles
Interstate
65
Arterial Freeway/Expressway
57
Principal Arterial
225
Minor Arterial
57
Major Collector
64
Minor Collector
3
Total
471
(Source: Weld County GIS)
Page 9
Page 10
Real Estate & Housing
Weld County median prices in 2020
Detached houses: $385,000
Townhouses or other attached units: $285,000
In 2 -unit structures: $325,515
In 3 -to -4 -unit structures: $541,000
In 5 -or -more -unit structures: $945,000
Manufacture homes: $290,000
(Source: Sears Real Estate)
Page 11
Single -Family Home Sales — 2015-2020
East/North: Nunn, Grover, New Raymer
#
Sold/Annual
Median
Increase
in
Price
2015
26/$191,250
+37%
2016
28/$257,219
+35%
2017
24/$292,000
+14%
2018
29/$300,000
+3%
2019
33/$305,000
+2%
2020
34/$357,750
+7%
Central/West: Ault, Eaton, Evans, Greeley, Gilcrest, LaSalle, Johnstown,
Milliken, Kersey, Pierce, Severance, Windsor
# Sold/Annual
Median
Increase
in
Price
2015
3,585/$245,000
+11%
2016
3,716/$275,989
+13%
2017
3,538/$305,000
+11%
2018
4,047/$330,000
+8%
2019
4,209/$344,364
+4%
2020
4,831/$367,000
+16%
South: Platteville, Firestone, Frederick, Dacono, Erie, Fort Lupton,
Hudson, Keenesburg
# Sold/Annual
Median
Increase
in
Price
2015
1,121/$324,790
+11%
2016
1,042/$350,000
+8%
2017
1,095/5383,000
+9%
2018
1,081/5402,900
+5%
2019
1,209/5415,000
+3%
2020
2,500/5445,000
+15%
Housing & Households
Weld
County
Housing
Units
2000
2010
2017
2018
2019
2020
Total
Housing
Units
66,194
96,281
110,496
112,857
116,710
119,962
Occupied
Housing
Units
63,247
89,349
108,073
110,000
114,605
113,995
Vacant
Housing
Units
2,947
6,932
2,423
1,857
2,105
5,967
Vacancy
Rate
4.5%
7.2%
2.2%
1.6%
1.8%
5%
(Source: Colorado Demography Office)
Foreclosures in Weld County
• The estimated number of
occupied housing units in Weld
County decreased by 610 from
2019 to 2020.
• Colorado's vacancy rate was
estimated to be 9.4% in 2020.
Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Foreclosures 822 1,155 1,500 2,073 2,869 2,824 3,354 2,757 1,919 1,579 820 602 427 411 362 375 334 116
(Source: Weld County Public Trustee)
Page 12
Development Trends (Unincorporated Area)
Code changes and the COVID-19 slowdown led to a reduction in the number of cases processed in 2020. After July, 2019, several uses
that previously required public hearings before the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners were made administrative
approvals. In 2020, the County's subdivision regulations were updated to replace Recorded Exemptions with Family Farm Divisions and
Subdivision Exemptions with Public Facility Divisions. Other changes included a new Rural Land Division for small subdivisions (up to
four lots) in the Agricultural zone, a new process for Lot Line Adjustments, and a reduction in the minimum lot size in the Agricultural zone
from 80 acres to 35.
Planning Cases by Year
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Planning Cases
293
328
344
562
573
593
783
887
842
560
Planning
Commission
Hearing Cases
67
88
70
98
94
80
74
118
106
46
Pre -application
Meetings
182
244
223
308
267
270
282
334
300
225
Walk-in's
1,231
1,302
1,315
1,549
1,618
1,167
Number of Lots Approved through Recorded Exemptions by Year
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020*
Number of Lots
123
185
207
228
288
323
367
413
435
373
*As of October 21, 2020, Recorded Exemption applications were no longer accepted. However, recording of previously approved Recorded Exemption plats will
continue to occur for some time.
Number of Lots Approved through Subdivisions by Year excludin outlots)
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015 2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Number of Lots
0
9
6
28
30 14
1
15
62
22
13
Page 13
2020 Case Types
COZ 8
FHDP 87
N CU 20
P UD 8
RE 229
RS 5
S E 17
S ketch 1
S PR 13
TSU 4
U SR 41
ZP 86
Other 41
Total 560
Page 14
Number of Building Permits by Type by Year
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
New Single-
Family Homes
50
85
98
160
169
140
143
170
157
125
Manufactured
Homes
52
81
102
130
198
160
174
190
155
88
Oil& Gas
990
866
829
900
495
383
312
443
371
256
Ag Exempt
130
142
142
186
174
213
231
235
242
246
Other
1,094
1,153
1,280
1,298
1,283
1,329
1,398
1,492
1,394
1,550
Total
2,316
2,327
2,451
2,674
2,319
2,225
2,258
2,530
2,425
2,265
Total
Valuation
$126M
$322M
$365M
$783M
$462M
$298M
$358M
$584M
$606M
$233M
Building Inspections, Plan Reviews, and Walk-in's by Year
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Inspections
19,056
18,724
18,155
23,052
26,328
24,467
23,474
24,063
25,733
27,498
Plan
Reviews
1,364
1,562
1,849
2,153
2,045
1,895
2,118
2,363
2,242
2,060
Walk-ins
4,971
4,264
5,553
5,709
5,789
6,271
Page 15
Oil and Gas
The COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent shutdown led to an unprecedented drop in demand for oil and gas in 2020, and prices were
further affected by the breakdown of talks between Russia and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in March
of 2020 on the appropriate response. On April 20, 2020, the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil for May delivery crashed into
negative territory for the first time in history. From a low of -$37 per barrel, the price eventually recovered to around $48 by the end of the
year.
Closer to home, the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission began developing and eventually adopted new rules in accordance
with Senate Bill 19-181, which likely led to an increase in the number of cases shown below for 2019 and may have contributed to the
drop in cases for 2020.
Weld Oil and Gas Location Assessments (WOGLAs) by Year
Year
2017
2018
2019
2020
Number of Cases
115
193
218
56
Page 16
Weld County Small Business Incentive Plan (SBIP)
FUNDING OVERVIEW
0-9 employees:
Fees between $2,500 - $25,000
County mar $20,000
Applicant portion: $2,500 + any amount
above $25,000
10-15 employees:
Fees between $2,500 - $35,000
County mat. S30,000
Applicant portion_ $2,500 + any amount
above $35,000
1b-35 employees:
Fees between $2,500 - $45,000
Counts max: 340,000
Applicant portion: $2,500 + any amount
above $45,000
Example 1: S10,000 total fees assessed
and 5 employees. Applicant would pay
$2,500 and County would grant S-,5CK).
Example 2. 540,000 total fees assessed
and 14 employees. Applicant would pay
$2,500+$7,5-00=S10,000 and County would
grant $30,000.
Example 3: $80,000 total fees assessed
and 5 employees. Applicant would par
S2,500+$37,500=$40,000 and County would
grant $40,000.
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Funds shall be distributed on a first -come first -send bassi.
_till applications are confidential and at the full discretion of the
reld Count) Board of Comity Commissioners.
Applicants must be a proper? owner or be a tenant in ith untten
pernricsion from the bidding owner) operating a retail, commercial
or industrial business as dorintd and pernrithrd under the Weld
Count) Code.
Applicant must be current on aU Gimps tares prior to yes in ins
funds.
The IFeld Count, Board of Count) Commissioners or its
designee has sole ai thornt)v to determine the eligibibt; of
proposed business.
If) a% hate question or a odd like further information.
please contact the Planning Serums Director at 070-353-6100,
tVt 35
X11 i gwn'es .ire kept strictly confidential.
Total Funds Awarded (as of 12/31/2020)
$223,941
Weld County
Small Business
Incentive Program
Weld County has established a Small Business
Incentive Program (BIP) which will provide eligible
businesses financial assistance to offset land use.
building permit, and several impact fees. The
program is designed to reduce upfront capital outlay
for small businesses located in unincorporated Weld
County.
WHO CAN APPLY?
Any business owner or tenant located in
unincorporated Weld County that meets the eligibility
requirements.
WHAT ARE THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS?
• The subject real property must be located within
the County (the "Property").
• The business shall hire at least fifty (50) percent
of their new workforce from Weld County. For the
purpose of this application a full-time employee
works a minimum of 32 hours per week. The
business may have a combination of part-time
employees that is the equivalent of at least one
(1) full-time employee.
• The applicant must be the record owner(s) of the
Property or a tenant.
• The business must have been undertaken after
the date of the adoption of this policy.
• This program shall only apply to businesses with
35 or fewer employees at the time of submitting
an application.
WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH THESE FUNDS?
The intent of these funds is to offer financial
assistance to small businesses that want to operate
in Weld County. The financial assistance helps
reduce the business's land use application fees,
building permit fees, and impact fees. Fees incurred
by the business that are not eligible for funds include
consultant and attorney fees, on -site and off -site
bonding, collateral requirements. etc.
Resources:
U.S. Census Bureau
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Colorado Demography Office
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
Weld County Planning Services
Weld County GIS
Weld County Public Works
Weld County Oil and Gas Energy Department
National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics
Upstate Colorado Economic Development
Sears Real Estate
U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Weather Service
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