An investigation of cadmium-neon plasma in cylindrical axially homogeneous positive column of a dc glow discharge at low and intermediate pressure is presented. Electron impact excitation cross sections, heavy-particle collision rate coefficients, and radiative decay rates for Cd-Ne mixture have been assembled from the literature and summarized. A self-consistent collisional-radiative model based on numerical solution of the electron Boltzmann equation coupled with a system of particle balance equations for the electrons, excited atoms and ions, as well as the electron energy balance equation, is developed. By this model, the electron energy distribution function, mean energy, electron density, electron mobility, and diffusion coefficient, populations of Cd and Ne excited states and the applied dc electric field are calculated. The populations of the excited Cd(5p(3)P(0.1.2)) atoms are measured using optical absorption spectroscopy. From these measurements the effective lifetime of the resonance state Cd(5p(3)P(1)) and the diffusion coefficients of both metastable states Cd(5p(3)P(0)) and Cd(5p(3)P(2)) are determined. The electron density is derived by probes measurements. The influence of the Cd vapor pressure and discharge current on the main plasma characteristics is studied. Model predictions compare favorably with measured electron density and populations of excited states in a wide range of discharge conditions.