Douglas County Leads Nation in Growth

DENVER-Douglas County and Broomfield provide bookends for fast-growth along Denver. The latest U.S. Census report shows that from July 2001 to July 2002, Douglas County was the fastest growing county in the nation in terms of percentage increase in the number of housing units.

Douglas County, primarily southeast of Denver, grew by 8.3%, and was ranked as No.1 in the nation.

Broomfield, along the northwest corridor, and the newest county in the country, rose by 7%, and ranked No. 6.

And Colorado’s housing growth rose by 2.9%, second in the nation.

The reason Douglas County was No. 1 was because of all of the apartment units constructed there during that time period, says Mike Rinner, of the Denver-based Genesis Group, which tracks Front Range Housing. Much of the multifamily overbuilding took place in Douglas County, he notes.

Rinner and other experts say that a year from now when the U.S. Census releases its report from 2002 to 2003, counties in the Denver area will not be ranked as high as they were in the latest report, given the sluggish economy and the slowdown in construction.