Neal Marquez Named as Colorado’s New State Demographer
The Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) is excited to announce that Neal Marquez has been named Colorado’s new State Demographer.
Marquez started full-time in the role on July 6, 2026 after serving as the interim State Demographer since June and previously serving as the Population Projections Demographer for the State Demography Office (SDO) since 2025.
“I am thrilled to welcome Neal as Colorado’s new State Demographer,” said Maria De Cambra, DOLA’s Executive Director. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Neal for a couple of years now, and he has been able to seamlessly carry on the legacy of excellence at the State Demography Office while streamlining efficiencies and prioritizing transparency. I’m also confident that Neal is the best person to lead the Demography team as we prepare for the 2030 Census.”
“It is both an honor and privilege to accept the position of State Demographer for Colorado,” said Marquez. “Colorado’s population is growing and changing in unique ways and I am excited to work with local governments and communities to ensure our state is well prepared to meet the needs of Coloradans today and into the future.”
View the full press release to learn more.
Apply Now: Population Projections Demographer
The State Demography Office is seeking a new Population Projections Demographer to lead the development of the population, labor force, and household forecasts that inform state and local policy decisions.
Your work will directly impact housing and economic planning, social programs, and community development across Colorado. You will collaborate with a team of demographers, economists, and planners to ensure that our state’s forecasts are both accurate and actionable.
This is a mid to senior level position that can be hired at the Statistical Analyst III or IV class depending on the applicant’s qualifications.
View the job posting to learn more and apply. The closing date is Aug. 4.
DRAFT July 1, 2025 Population Estimates Challenge Period
The DRAFT July 1, 2025 Population Estimates for Municipalities and Unincorporated Areas will be available for review soon. Local governments will receive notification by email when the data are available.
Please contact Nancy Gedeon at nancy.gedeon@state.co.us or 720-248-7173 with questions.
Changes to SDO Website Applications
Colorado Demographic Profile Transitions to SDO Data Bundle System
The Colorado Demographic Profile, a dashboard showing SDO Population Estimates and ACS survey estimates, has been retired and removed from the SDO website. The dashboard is being replaced by a new set of annual data bundles for Colorado regions, counties and municipalities available on the SDO Data Bundle Lookup page.
The new bundle:
- Adds summaries for 23 Colorado regions, including all of the Colorado Planning Regions
- Provides county-specific summaries for multi-county municipalities
- Expands data tables for Source of Household Income and expands housing statistics from the American Community Survey
- Maintains the comprehensive profile report in an accessible PDF format
- Provides all charts and data sets featured in the profile report.
This data tool will be updated each January as part of SDO’s ACS update cycle.
SDO In the News
State Demographer Neal Marquez discussed Colorado’s major demographic trends with Colorado Public Radio, including the state’s slowing growth and birth rates, international migration, and the aging population.
Follow the link above to read the article, or listen to the full interview on the July 16 episode of the Colorado Matters podcast.
Census Bureau Updates
On July 17, the U.S. Census Bureau announced plans to re-release estimates for the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) from 2019 to 2024. The update comes after the discovery of errors which affected the 2019 and 2020 SPM estimates.
The Census Bureau produces two poverty measures each year, the Official Poverty Measure and the SPM. Visit the census SPM page to learn more.
On July 15, the Census Bureau released data from the 2025 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) detailing the income and assistance program participation of individuals and households in the United States, including:
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Wealth and Asset Ownership Data Tables providing national and state wealth and debt measures including home equity, retirement account, vehicle debt, credit card debt and student loans.
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Wealth of Households: 2024, a brief that uses the 2025 SIPP to examine household wealth in 2024, exploring differences in the rates of asset and debt holding and variation in median household wealth by demographic and economic characteristics such as education and income.
On June 1, Census takers and specially trained U.S. Postal Service workers began visiting households in Huntsville, Alabama, and Spartanburg, South Carolina, that had not yet responded to the 2026 Census Test. For more details, visit the 2030 Census and 2026 Census Test webpages.
Census Now Hiring Colorado Field Representatives
 The Census Bureau is recruiting for customer-service focused field representatives and field supervisors in the Denver Region and Colorado.
Field representatives interview local residents in their homes, typically working part-time schedules, including nights and weekends. Learn more about the role.
Visit the State Demography Office website for more.
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