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Blanca, ColoradoPhoto: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY-SA 3.0
Town Hall · Blanca

Blanca spent less per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities

Blanca’s town government spent $278,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $683 per resident. Water and other utilities ($144,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$278,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$683
In 2022: $683, less than 67% of 150 similar cities
Long-term debt
$213,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
5
full-time · 14 part-time · March payroll $22,372
Typical tax bill
$700
0.43% of home value · CO 0.48%

What stands out about how Blanca is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $683 per resident, less than 67% of 150 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer34% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $700 a year: 0.43% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado.
Compared with similar places

$683 per resident in 2022: less than 67% of them

Blanca’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($683 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 $998, and the middle half spent $624–$1,753. Blanca spent less than 67% of them.

Middle half of the group, $624–$1,753Median $998Blanca

Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
150

Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Blanca itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $683 per resident a year, or $1.87 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: fire, at 29%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 24%Interest, fines & other 21%Utility sales 17%From the state 10%Property taxes 9%Other taxes & licenses 9%Fees & charges 8%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $84,000; interest on debt $9,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $517,000.
About “Other”.39% of Blanca’s day-to-day spending ($108,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

Blanca reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $700 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.43% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Colorado$2,602
Blanca$700
$700
typical bill a year
0.43%
effective rate
$163,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Blanca’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 Blanca’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Blanca →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Blanca

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Blanca’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Blanca yet.
Who works for Blanca

One full-time town employee for every 81 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (407).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings0 + 8 pt
Police2
Sewer & trash1 + 2 pt
Water & other utilities1 + 2 pt
Roads & transportation1 + 1 pt
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 1 pt
5
full-time
14
part-time
$22,372
payroll for March 2022
$268,464
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$26,100
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
2
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Blanca had 12.3 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 112 of the 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 8.6: Blanca had more than 68% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Sierra Grande School District R-30

Blanca’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Blanca →
$17,454
per pupil · CO $15,889
302
students
$12 million
long-term debt

Of the $17,454 per pupil, $8,156 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 65%State 23%Federal 12%

Colorado districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Blanca’s votes are counted by county

Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Blanca alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Costilla County’s results.

President · Costilla County’s results2,080 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat55.5%1,155 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican40.9%850 votes

Others: 3.6% (75 votes).

Most votes in Costilla County: Kamala D Harris

Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%

The county’s page

100% of Blanca lies in Costilla County. Every 2024 race in Costilla County is on the county’s page.

Costilla County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Blanca

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Blanca.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Colorado HouseState representatives
    Matt Martinez
  3. 3
    Colorado SenateState senator
    Cleave Simpson
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Jared Polis
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Jeff Hurd
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Colorado
    Michael F. BennetJohn W. Hickenlooper

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Blanca’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Blanca’s government

How much does Blanca spend per resident?

About $683 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $683 was less than 67% of 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Blanca?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $700 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.43% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.

Who runs Blanca’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Blanca yet.

How did Blanca vote in 2024?

Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Blanca alone. Costilla County, where 100% of Blanca lies, voted Harris 55.5%, Trump 40.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Blanca?

5 full-time and 14 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $22,372 (about $268,464 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Blanca in the state legislature?

State Senate District 6 (Cleave Simpson) and State House District 62 (Matt Martinez). The House district also covers 17 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Blanca’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →