How many people live in Mesa County, CO?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 161,300 people living in Mesa County, CO. That makes Mesa County the 11th-most populous county in Colorado. It is home to 2.7% of people living in the state.
161K
population of Mesa County, CO (2024)
2.7%
County share of the Colorado population (2024)
About 161,300 people lived in Mesa County, CO in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Mesa County, CO’s age demographics?
About 35,900 Mesa County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 22.3% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 16.5% of Colorado’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 31,400 Mesa County residents, or 19.5% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 20.5% of Colorado’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Mesa County, CO's population is aged 65 or older than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Mesa County, CO’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 79.5% of the Mesa County, CO population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Mesa County’s non-Hispanic Black or African American population accounts for 0.76%, below the 12.6% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Asian population makes up 1.1% of the county, compared with 6.5% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Mesa County, CO has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Colorado as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Mesa County, CO is Grand Junction with about 70,600 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Mesa County, CO ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Grand Junction | 70,554 |
| 2. | Fruita | 13,912 |
| 3. | Palisade | 2,600 |
| 4. | De Beque | 478 |
| 5. | Collbran | 365 |
| 6. | Balance of Mesa County | 73,351 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
