Pop quiz: Is Colorado’s most desirable county A) part of the Denver metro area, B) in the high country, or C) on the plains? At least in terms of population growth, the state’s hottest spot is C—specifically, Weld County.

Home to the JBS USA meat-packing plant, Greeley, and lots of drilling rigs, it hasn’t historically shown up on a lot of “best places to live” lists. But from July 2024 to July 2025, the northern Colorado locale gained 7,146 residents (a 1.9 percent increase). Meanwhile, Denver, Boulder, Pitkin, Summit, and Eagle counties all experienced net negative migration.

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We don’t have enough data to know for sure, but state demographer Kate Watkins has a few theories as to why Weld is growing while some of Colorado’s traditional darlings saw population declines. “In 2025, some of our highest growth areas when it comes to net migration were more affordable areas,” Watkins says, adding that high costs likely contributed to people leaving Boulder, Pitkin, and Eagle counties. Unusual international migration patterns may have played into Denver and Arapahoe counties’ recent losses. “In 2022 to 2024, we had elevated levels of humanitarian migrants coming from other countries,” Watkins says. “Many of those individuals have now left for other states.”

Part of the story could also be housing availability—or, rather, lack thereof. “We are seeing lower levels of mobility nationwide, meaning fewer people are moving, and that means that there is more competition for those movers,” Watkins says. “Key trends that are driving that lower mobility include a higher interest rate environment,” which has people locked in to their homes, leading to low inventory in previously hot markets like the Denver metro area. The 65-plus population always tends to age in place. But, Watkins says, now “we’re also seeing younger age cohorts aging in place more than they have historically as well.”

In addition to having more inventory and being much more affordable than the metro area—homes in Greeley are listed at around $150 less per square foot than those in Denver—Weld County is centrally located (within an hour of Denver, Fort Collins, and Cheyenne, Wyoming) and positioned to benefit economically from a big data center project near the town of Windsor. And these days, you can do much better than cow-tipping for entertainment: Greeley is home to the Union Colony Civic Center, a performing arts venue that hosts more than 100 events annually; the paved, 21-mile Poudre River Trail is a recreational gem; and food and drink options include WeldWerks Brewing’s taproom and northern Colorado Mexican favorite El Pueblito.

Of course, now that the word is out, competition might get tighter in Weld, whereas fewer people in Denver and Boulder could result in more inventory and lower prices. “When it comes to the housing market, certainly fewer people means less demand, which then can bring a market a little bit better in balance and lead to some longer-term improvements in affordability,” Watkins says. So, city slickers might want to see how things play out before they decide Greeley is the place to be.

Read More: Buying or Selling a Home in Denver This Year? Here Are 5 Questions You Should Ask.