Photo: Lee Coursey · CC BY 2.0Boulder spent more per resident in 2022 than 73% of similar cities
Boulder’s city government spent $300.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $2,849 per resident. Water and other utilities ($28.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Boulder is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,920 per resident in 2022: more than 73% of them
Boulder’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,920 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,395, and the middle half spent $1,058–$1,913. Boulder spent more than 73% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($18.2 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Boulder itself left out).
About $2,849 per resident a year, or $7.81 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 16%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 45% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Boulder 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: $1,920 · 2023: $2,164 · 2024: $2,849.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,640 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $5,322 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.51% 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 Boulder’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.
Tax bills are one input to Boulder’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Boulder →
Who’s in charge in Boulder
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Boulder’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on bouldercolorado.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 60 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (105,485).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Boulder Valley School District RE-2
Boulder’s K–12 school district, shared with Jamestown, Lafayette, Louisville, Nederland, Ward and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,771 per pupil, $9,993 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.
St. Vrain Valley School District RE 1J · $15,300 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Boulder’s votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Boulder alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Boulder County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat76.5%150,149 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican20.8%40,758 votesOthers: 2.7% (5,397 votes).
Most votes in Boulder County: Kamala D Harris
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
100% of Boulder lies in Boulder County. Every 2024 race in Boulder County is on the county’s page.
Boulder 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 Boulder.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: bouldercolorado.gov ↗
- 2Colorado HouseBoulder is split between 2 districts
- 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 Boulder compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Boulder | $1,920 | $5,322 |
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 Boulder’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Boulder’s government
How much does Boulder spend per resident?
About $2,849 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 $1,920 was more than 73% of 15 Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Boulder?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,322 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.51% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see bouldercolorado.gov.
Who runs Boulder’s government?
See bouldercolorado.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Boulder yet.
How did Boulder vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Boulder alone. Boulder County, where 100% of Boulder lies, voted Harris 76.5%, Trump 20.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Boulder?
1,757 full-time and 206 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $15.0M (about $180.4M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Boulder in the state legislature?
Boulder is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Colorado Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 18 (Judy Amabile). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Boulder’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 →