Black Hawk spent more per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities
Black Hawk’s city government spent $17.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $138,181 per resident. Water and other utilities ($2.7 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Black Hawk is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$113,031 per resident in 2022: more than 99% of them
Black Hawk’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($113,031 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $990, and the middle half spent $624–$1,732. Black Hawk spent more than 99% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Black Hawk itself left out).
About $138,181 per resident a year, or $378.58 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 19% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Black Hawk reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $113,031 · 2023: $126,820 · 2024: $138,181.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $582 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.12% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Black Hawk’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Black Hawk’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Black Hawk →
Who’s in charge in Black Hawk
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Black Hawk’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofblackhawk.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 1 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (127).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Gilpin County School District RE-1
Black Hawk’s K–12 school district, shared with Central. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,933 per pupil, $9,231 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Colorado districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Black Hawk’s votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Black Hawk alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Gilpin County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat54.6%2,254 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican41.9%1,729 votesOthers: 3.6% (147 votes).
Most votes in Gilpin County: Kamala D Harris
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
100% of Black Hawk lies in Gilpin County. Every 2024 race in Gilpin County is on the county’s page.
Gilpin County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Black Hawk.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofblackhawk.org ↗
- 2Colorado HouseState representatives
- 3Colorado SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Colorado
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Black Hawk compares with the towns next door
Black Hawk spent $113,031 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $5,714. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Central | $5,714 | $700 |
| Black Hawk | $113,031 | $582 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Black Hawk’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Black Hawk’s government
How much does Black Hawk spend per resident?
About $138,181 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $113,031 was more than 99% of 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Black Hawk?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $582 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.12% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofblackhawk.org.
Who runs Black Hawk’s government?
See cityofblackhawk.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Black Hawk yet.
How did Black Hawk vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Black Hawk alone. Gilpin County, where 100% of Black Hawk lies, voted Harris 54.6%, Trump 41.9% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Black Hawk?
90 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $816,862 (about $9.8M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Black Hawk in the state legislature?
State Senate District 8 (Dylan Roberts) and State House District 49 (Lesley Smith). The House district also covers 10 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Black Hawk’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →