Colorado Springs Adds Six Residents Daily Amid Regulatory Pushback

"About six new residents a day."

That is the headline number Mayor Yemi Mobolade dropped when he kicked off the 30th annual UCCS Economic Forum on Thursday. He framed it as proof that while other major Colorado cities are bleeding population, Colorado Springs is still pulling people in. On paper, that sounds like a boom. In practice, it’s a recovery from a post-pandemic slump that left the region with fewer home sales, slower workforce growth, and a dip in residential building permits.

Mobolade didn’t call it a victory lap. He called it evidence. But the evidence is heavy on capital investment. Swire Coca-Cola is pouring $475 million into a new plant south of the airport. Weidner Apartment Homes is developing 1,200 new apartment units downtown. The city snagged the "best city in the U.S. for small businesses" title from Bluevine, edging out Denver. And tourism? Visitors to the area spent a record $3.1 billion last year.

Let’s do the math on the growth. The State Demography Office expects the Pikes Peak region to add 76,000 people over the next decade. For context, that’s a significant uptick from the slowing growth rates seen in the immediate post-pandemic period. But growth brings friction.

Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, president and CEO of the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC, played defense against the regulatory environment. She cited a statistic from the Colorado Chamber of Commerce’s regulatory report: Colorado is the sixth most regulated state in the country. Reeder Kleymeyer served on Gov. Jared Polis’ Competitiveness Council, which just wrapped a report detailing how the state has lost its competitive edge. Overlapping state, federal, and local rules are confusing and discouraging prospective companies.

"The rules are all well-intentioned, I’m sure," Reeder Kleymeyer said. "But if a business has choices, they don’t have to be here."

Crystal LaTier, executive director of Economic and Workforce Development for El Paso County, added that these regulations hit small businesses harder than larger corporations. The bureaucratic weight is uneven.

So, what is actually changing for locals? The $475 million Coca-Cola plant means new jobs south of the airport. The 1,200 new downtown apartments mean more density in the core. The $3.1 billion in tourism spending means more foot traffic in the visitor corridor. But the regulatory headwinds remain. The economy is heading up, but the road is still rough. The community is taking responsibility for its future, but it’s doing so while navigating a maze of rules that make staying competitive a daily struggle. The numbers are up. The competition is stiff. The choice is yours.