Forbes – “Denver-centered West Region is Tops for Growth”

Forbes magazine is predicting that a region it calls the Inland West — with Denver as its capital city — will be the area of the country with the largest population growth over the next decade.

The region, which also includes the cities of Boise and Salt Lake City, “extends from the foothills of the Rockies to the coastal ranges that shelter the Pacific Coast,” as the magazine defines the area. The Inland West region had the biggest population gain between 2003 to 2013, as the number of residents swelled by 21 percent to 32.3 million.

Forbes calculates the region will be home to 7 percent more people in 2023, giving it 34.6 million residents. The quality of life in the region, coupled with relatively low housing prices, get the credit for the boom in population in the last 10 years.