State Demography Office

On November 1, the Department of Local Affairs’ (DOLA) State Demography Office (SDO) will host its 42nd Annual Summit. This year’s event will cover newly released population and employment estimates and forecasts, new methods being used for calculating municipal population estimates, the recently announced Census 2026 Test in Colorado Springs. Attendees will also learn about the newest tools and visualizations released by SDO.

After two decades of dedicated service, Elizabeth Garner, Colorado's State Demographer, has announced her retirement effective November 29, 2024. Garner’s work and commitment have significantly shaped the state’s demographic understanding and planning, leaving an indelible mark on Colorado’s development.

Recent data from the Census Bureau’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey indicates that Colorado must continue to encourage the creation, preservation, and overall production of affordable and attainable housing for the state’s growing population.

The Colorado State Demography Summit is held in the fall of each year. This one-day conference offers attendees the opportunity to explore the most current population and economic conditions and forecasts for the state and its regions and what is driving these changes.

The State Demography Office, within the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), will virtually hold its annual fall summit on Friday, November 4, from 8:45 a.m.to 3:30 p.m.

The U.S. Census Bureau released their county-level vintage 2021 population estimates, and they report that more than 73% (2,297) of U.S. counties experienced natural decrease in 2021 - up from 45.5% in 2019 and 55.5% in 2020. In Colorado, 35 of the 64 counties (55%) experienced natural decrease. Natural decrease occurs when there are more deaths than births in a population over a given period. Aging in the U.S. and Colorado, as well as increased mortality due to COVID and fewer births, contributed to this rise in natural decrease.

On March 17th, the Census Bureau released the 2016-2020 American Community Survey. This dataset contains population characteristics for smaller geographies up to state levels.