Colorado Springs has been selected to participate in the 2026 Census Test — the first of two anticipated on-the-ground tests to be conducted in preparation for the 2030 Census.
According to the Monday announcement from the U.S. Census Bureau, Colorado Springs is one of six cities across the south and western portions of the nation selected for the 2026 test intended to, “evaluate the viability of innovations and enhancements planned for the 2030 Census, with particular focus on improving the count of hard-to-count and historically undercounted populations,” officials said.
Along with Colorado Springs, tests will also be conducted in Huntsville, Ala., selected metro areas of Spartanburg, S.C., tribal lands within Arizona, including the Fort Apache Reservation and the San Carlos Reservation, select counties in western Texas and select counties in western North Carolina.
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According to U.S. Census officials, the cities selected provide the ideal opportunity to test changes and enhancements to the Census test under real, on-the-ground conditions on a larger scale than research alone allows.
“Together, these sites will enable us to test the improvements we’re designing in our efforts to get a complete count of historically undercounted and hard-to-count populations,” Daniel Doyle, Deputy Chief of the Census Bureau’s Decennial Census Management Division, said.
U.S. Census officials said Monday the areas selected for the 2026 test were chosen based on four main sets of criteria — geography, living quarter characteristics, staffing and technical characteristics.
Features of the locations selected include areas with historically low response rates, tribal areas, rural areas, areas with limited internet and cellphone service, areas with seasonally vacant housing, a high number of multiunit structures, significant housing growth and areas with a high number of universities, correctional facilities and military housing.
Based on data provided by the 2020 U.S. Census, El Paso County carries a high veteran population of 15.1% of the city, equating to 7% of the veteran population throughout the state.
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As demands for emergency medical services increase, many fire departments struggle to maintain adequate staffing levels. The situation in rural areas is dire, with concerns about response capabilities and funding limitations.
Additionally, Colorado Springs is considered to be on a “growth highway,” according to a previous report by The Gazette, being on track to reach 1 million residents by as soon as 2045.
Colorado Springs is also home to several higher-ed institutions including Colorado College, Pikes Peak State College, University of Colorado Colorado Springs and the United States Air Force Academy.
“It’s important to note that no one location covers all the requirements of this test,” Doyle said. “It’s the combination that’s powerful. As a group, they will enable us to meet all the testing objectives, while also meeting available budget, systems and other resource constraints.”
According to Colorado State Demographer Elizabeth Garner, Colorado Springs was selected by the U.S. Census Bureau for the practice test mostly due to its high military population.
“This is totally to get ready for Census 2030 and make sure the planning is taking place and that the questionnaires are working the way Census anticipates and the different collection methods are working,” Garner said.
The Monday announcement states the Census Bureau will begin community outreach for the 2026 test in the summer of 2025 and will begin recruitment for the field test in the fall of 2025.
“Both components — the national sample of households and people living in the test sites — will be asked to respond to the test in spring 2026,” the announcement states.
Census Day, the tests reference day is scheduled for April 1, 2026. Test operations are anticipated to conclude the following summer.
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