Complex sentence: The Western Slope is sparsely populated compared to the Front Range, with few towns having a population over 5,000; however, the regional population is growing rapidly, contributing to the state's ranking as one of the fastest growing in the nation.
Split into simpler sentences: The Western Slope is sparsely populated compared to the Front Range, with few towns having a population over 5,000. However, the regional population is growing rapidly contributing to the state's ranking as one of the fastest growing in the nation.