Denver

People

Denver is the nation's twentieth most populous city. In 1990, the population of Denver was 468,000, of which 12.8 percent was black, 1.2 percent American Indian, and 2.4 percent Asian. Hispanics (both white and black) accounted for 23 percent of the population. As part of a larger statewide population boom, the city's population has increased by 23 percent in the past decade; the current population is estimated at 510,000.

The population of the Denver Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area was estimated at 1,901,156 in 1997. The region's racial composition was listed by the U.S. Census Bureau in 1996 as 90.1 percent white; 6.2 percent black;2.9 percent Asian/Pacific Islander. The percentage of residents of Hispanic origin (an ethnic rather than a racial designation) was 14.2 percent.

The median age of Denver's residents is 32.9, slightly lower than the U.S. median age of 33.2. However, the age group that really stands out is the baby boomer generation: Denver has a greater percentage of boomers among its population than any other major U.S. city—32.8 percent (compared with 31.5 percent for its nearest competitor, Seattle).