Page 133 - Littleton, CO Comprehensive Plan
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        PEOPLE


        So much of the input that went into the 2018 Envision Report revolved around people issues in Littleton – how best to
        house them, keep them safe, healthy and active, and support those in need whether due to aging, job status, or other
        challenges. The nation’s upcoming Census 2020 will be a next crucial step for monitoring local demographic
        changes.
        14.3%                           Increase in population experienced so far this decade, through 2017,

                                      which could return Littleton to the growth pace seen from 1980 to 2000,
                                      before population growth dropped off from 2000 to 2010.

        After a much smaller Littleton grew by 304 percent during the 1950s, from nearly 3,400 residents to almost 13,700, the
        rate of population growth has decreased significantly in the decades since. The lowest rate was seen from 2000 to 2010
        when the city grew by only 3.4 percent. However, a relatively steady growth path has brought Littleton to the point of being
        nearly built out. As a result, the Comprehensive Plan must consider Littleton’s long-term financial sustainability
        and the implications of both redevelopment possibilities and how remaining vacant land may ultimately be used.

                                                   Population Growth


                60,000                                                                                    350

                50,000                                                                                    300

                                                                                                   47,734 250
                40,000                                                             40,340     41,737
              Population  30,000                           28,631      33,685                             200  Percent Growth


                                                                                                          150
                20,000                          26,466
                                                                                                          100
                                    13,670
                10,000                                                                                    50

                        3,378
                    0                                                                                     0
                     1950       1960        1970        1980       1990        2000       2010        2020

                                                        Population      Percent Growth

                                                  Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

        42.2               Median age in Littleton in 2017.



                           The median age in Littleton is substantially higher than in the Denver Metro Area (36.6 years) and
                           has been increasing each recent decade, from 34.7 in 1990 to 42.2 in 2017. Potential shifts in
        Littleton’s age composition in coming decades warrant attention as this could have implications across all
        aspects of the Comprehensive Plan and Transportation Master Plan, from housing and mobility needs to
        recreational programming and retail spending patterns. As of 2017, just under 11 percent of Littleton residents who
        were not living in institutional housing had some form of disability, with about half of these age 65 or older.
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