In an effort to continue to provide high-quality county-level COVID-19 data to residents and partners, today Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) will update the information on its COVID-19 data dashboard using 2021 Jefferson County population forecasts produced by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (CO DOLA). Previously, JCPH utilized 2019 population estimates from CO DOLA, which were based on 2010 Census data and the best available information at the time.
“For those who use our COVID-19 data dashboard resource regularly, you may notice some minor changes in today’s update due to our transition to utilizing 2021 forecasted county population estimates. Overall, this shift does not significantly impact countywide COVID-19 measures,” said Kelly Keenan, Epidemiology & Planning Program Manager, JCPH. “Compared to 2019 estimates our population has grown slightly and appears to be aging, and therefore the most notable changes will be to age-related data such as COVID-19 incidence rates by age and vaccination rates by age.”
The 2021 population forecast for Jefferson County includes an additional 3,497 residents compared to the 2019 population estimate. Additionally, the 2021 forecasted county population includes more individuals aged 60 years or older with the largest growth among those 70 and older. Further, the 2021 forecasted county population has fewer residents under 60 compared to 2019 estimates. The chart below provides additional information on how the county’s population age distribution is forecasted to have changed in 2021 compared to 2019.
Age | Jefferson County 2019 Population Estimate | Jefferson County 2021 Population Forecast | Difference 2021 Forecast vs. 2019 Estimate |
0-4 years | 29,690 | 28,432 | -1,258 |
5-11 years | 44,400 | 43,237 | -1,163 |
12-19 years | 54,966 | 53,522 | -1,444 |
20-29 years | 73,140 | 70,553 | -2,587 |
30-39 years | 81,959 | 81,806 | -153 |
40-49 years | 74,097 | 73,012 | -1,085 |
50-59 years | 82,635 | 78,607 | -4,028 |
60-69 years | 78,197 | 82,855 | 4,658 |
70+ years | 63,998 | 74,555 | 10,557 |
Total | 583,082 | 586,579 | 3,497 |
“Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, our team of epidemiologists have worked hard to provide extensive local-level data to help guide public health decision-making and keep our residents and partners informed,” Keenan said. “Our number one priority is to share accurate, transparent data in an easy-to-use way, and we remind folks there is a wealth of COVID-19 data on many important topics — COVID-19 vaccination, testing, demographics and more — available and updated on our website weekly.”
To view JCPH’s COVID-19 data dashboard, visit www.jeffco.us/4007/Case-Summary. For more information about COVID-19, visit www.jeffco.us/coronavirus.
About Jefferson County Public Health
Public health is what we do collectively to prevent illness and premature death and promote health in our neighborhoods and communities. Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) is a nationally accredited health department committed to promoting and protecting health across the lifespan for all people through prevention, education and partnerships. To learn more about JCPH visit www.jeffco.us/public-health. You can also follow JCPH on Twitter @JeffcoPH, Instagram @JeffcoPH and Facebook @jeffcopublichealth.
