Texas Demographic Conference
May 20-21, 2026 | Austin, TX
Barbara Jordan State Office Building, 1601 Congress Ave.
Join us for our Annual Data Users Conference on May 20-21, 2026, in Austin, TX! We’ll kick things off with a networking reception on May 20th, where you can enjoy great food and connect with fellow attendees in a welcoming atmosphere. The following day, statewide and regional experts will come together to explore Texas' dynamic demographic changes and share updates on new data products, programs, and services. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and engage in meaningful discussions about the future of Texas!
Registration
$140
- Full access to all sessions
- Workshop attendance
- Conference materials
- Networking events
Student Rate: $35
Contact us to receive the student discount code.
Conference Highlights
What you'll find at our conference:
- State Demographer Briefing
- Census Bureau Updates
- Networking Opportunities
- Accessible high value conference
- Presentations by state agencies, research, and non-profits.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Partner with the Texas Demographic Center to highlight the demographic trends in Texas and contribute to vital research and data that shape the future of our communities.
Conference Sponsors
We are very grateful to our sponsors for helping make the Texas Demographic Conference a success!
Gold Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Who Should Attend and Why
This conference is designed for researchers, policy analysts, planners, academics, students, geographers, consultants, community leaders, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamic demographic changes shaping Texas and its local communities.
Agenda
Subject to change
| Day 1: Wednesday, May 20, 2026 | |
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| 1:00pm - 5:00pm | Registration |
| 1:00pm - 3:30pm |
Data.census.gov Virtual Workshop Experts from the U.S. Census Bureau will host a 2.5 hour virtual interactive workshop on the basics of accessing data from the data.census.gov application. Registration is required and space is limited. |
| 1:00pm - 3:45pm | Texas Demographic Center Affiliate and Stakeholder Meeting (by invitation only) |
| 4:00pm - 5:00pm | Networking Reception (open to all conference participants) |
| Day 2: Thursday, May 21, 2026 | |
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| 8:00am - 9:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am - 12:00pm | Registration |
| 9:00am - 10:45am |
Conference Welcome & Keynote Address State of the State: Texas Demographic Trends and Characteristics Lloyd Potter, PhD, Texas State Demographer Additional Speakers Announced Soon! |
| 10:45am - 11:00am | Break |
| 11:00am – 12:00pm |
Breakout 1: Texas' Future in Numbers: County Population Projections and Beyond Helen You, PhD, Senior Demographer and Interim Director, Texas Demographic Center Take an inside look at how the Texas Demographic Center projects future population change across Texas counties. Explore our county-level population projections and get a sneak peek at the special projections derived from them, including labor force and household projections. |
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Breakout 2: Rural Texas, Reimagined: Data and Tools to Build Rural Assets and Capacity Kelty Garbee, PhD, Executive Director, Texas Rural Funders Evan Wolstencroft, Program Manager, Texas Rural Funders This session explores new USDA research and Texas demographic trends to examine how philanthropy and data-driven asset mapping can help rural communities make a compelling case for investment amid ongoing population decline. |
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Breakout 3: Water Supply Planning: A Medium-Sized Utility Perspective Robin Gary, One Water Coordinator, New Braunfels Utilities Explore how a fast-growing Texas community plans for a reliable water future in this interactive tabletop session where participants will examine water supply strategies, demand forecasting, and the complex decisions required to balance growth, drought, infrastructure, and long-term sustainability. |
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| 12:00pm – 1:15pm | Lunch Break (lunch provided) |
| 1:15pm - 2:15pm |
Plenary Session Moderator: Kara Joyner, PhD, Professor and Director of the Institute for Demographic and Socioeconomic Research (IDSER) at UT San Antonio Join local leaders from the Austin metro area to learn how population growth and other demographic changes affect infrastructure, the economy, city planning and community services. |
| 2:15pm - 2:30pm | Break |
| 2:30pm - 3:30pm |
Breakout 1: State of the Nonprofit Sector in Texas Chris Bugbee, CEO, OneStar Explore the latest statewide and regional data on Texas nonprofits to better understand the sector’s size, economic impact, and emerging challenges and opportunities, and gain practical insights to strengthen advocacy, strategic planning, and resource development efforts. |
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Breakout 2: Texas Economic and Revenue Trends: Current Insights & Projections Tetyana Melnyk, PhD, CGFM, CTCM, Director, Revenue Estimating Division, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Learn up-to-date insights on Texas's economy and revenue, discuss how these factors influence future growth, and explore the Comptrollers' role in the State's budgeting process. |
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Breakout 3: From Data to Decisions: Using Data Tools for Population Estimates and Projections Valeria Alvarez, Research Data Analyst, Texas Demographic Center Participants will learn how to navigate the Texas Demographic Center's population estimates and projections datasets to generate customized reports to use in grant writing, planning, and policy decisions. |
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| 3:30pm - 3:45pm | Break |
| 3:45pm - 4:45pm |
Breakout 1: 2030 Is Closer Than You Think: Strengthening Census Data Starts With LUCA Angela Broyles, Founder, President & CEO, Texas Census Institute This session explains how early engagement with the Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) program can improve census accuracy, funding, and representation, drawing on lessons from Texas’ 2020 undercount and current pilot efforts. Participants will gain practical strategies to identify missing addresses and start preparing now to strengthen their community’s count for 2030. |
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Breakout 2: Disaster Recovery: A Coordinated Effort between Government and Philanthropy Taylor Wolter, Director, Rebuild Texas, OneStar Courtney Goss, State Voluntary Agency Liaison, Texas Department of Emergency Management Join leaders from the Rebuild Texas Fund and the Texas Department of Emergency Management to explore how demographic data shapes equitable, long-term recovery strategies that help disaster-impacted communities rebuild stronger for the future. |
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Breakout 3: From Insight to Action: How the Texas Workforce Commission Is Reimagining Labor Market Data Texas Workforce Commission Learn how the Texas Workforce Commission’s participation in the Data User Insight Academy led to the creation of an innovative new Tableau dashboard that enhances how labor market information is shared, explored, and used for decision-making across Texas communities. |
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| 4:45pm - 5:00pm | Conference Adjourned |
Registration Policy
Pre-registration is highly encouraged. Registration does not close for events unless the event fills to capacity. However, late registrants may not receive conference materials until after the event, depending on attendance levels.
Final registration confirmation will be emailed after completion of the online registration form and after online payment.
Conference Details
Conference Venue
The 2026 Texas Demographic Conference will be held at:
Barbara Jordan State Office Building
1601 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78711
Parking
Free parking is offered to all registered conference attendees. The location and permit will be emailed one week prior to the conference date.
Hotel Information
Hotel is located a few blocks from the conference location.
Hilton Garden Inn
301 West 17th Street, Austin TX, 78701
Room Rates
$173 per night for single/double occupancy plus taxes
*parking at hotel is extra; however, conference participants can park for free at reserved parking lot 3 blocks from hotel. This information will be provided once you register.
This rate will be available until the group block is sold out or until April 19, 2026, whichever comes first
A booking link will be included in your confirmation email after you register.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Partner with the Texas Demographic Center to highlight the demographic trends in Texas, contributing to vital research and data that shape the future of our communities.
Connect with 200+ attendees representing state and local governments, non-profit organizations, service providers, and researchers. The annual Texas Demographic Conference is the go-to gathering for anyone interested in learning about the dynamic population changes occurring throughout the state and how to plan for the future.
| Gold Sponsor $3,000 |
Silver Sponsor $1,500 |
Bronze Sponsor $750 |
Texas Demographic Center Partner $250 |
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Networking Reception Invitations to Day One reception with key stakeholders. |
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Event Pass Complimentary conference passes. |
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Recognition at Reception Verbal and print recognition at Day One Networking Reception. |
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Ad in Digital Program A full color ad will be included in our program for all attendees. |
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Social Media Shout-Out Mentioned in pre-event social media promotions and post-conference posts. |
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Recognition in Event Materials Sponsor’s logo will appear on the conference website and digital program. |
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Digital Visibility Logo included in email communications to attendees. |
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Logo Placement on Signage Display of the sponsor’s logo at the event entrance and all event signage. |
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Vendor Table A table in the networking area to showcase products or services. |
Premium Booth | Standard Booth | ||
Speaking Opportunity A 45-minute speaking slot during the event or a sponsored workshop session. |
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Past Conferences
For those who couldn't attend our previous conferences or wish to revisit the content, the conference presentations are available on our website. Video for the 2022 and 2023 conferences are available on YouTube.