Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Denver spent more per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar cities
Denver’s city government spent $2.4 billion on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $3,418 per resident. Water and other utilities ($270.8 million) and the airport ($580.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Denver is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Denver
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: denvergov.org ↗
Denver’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on denvergov.org ↗.
About $3,418 per resident a year, or $9.36 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 14%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$3,060 per resident in 2022: more than 88% of them
Denver’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,060 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 249 Colorado cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,152, and the middle half spent $720–$1,924. Denver spent more than 88% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($128.1 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 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Denver itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 8% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Denver 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: $3,060 · 2023: $3,321 · 2024: $3,418.
full-time in March 2025 (hospital, health & welfare left out), up from 11,680 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,751 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.45% 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 Denver’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 Denver’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Denver →
One full-time city employee for every 58 residents, not counting hospital, health & welfare staff
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (713,252).
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.
Denver County School District 1
Denver’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,972 per pupil, $8,623 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.
How Denver voted in 2024
Official results for Denver’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat76.6%278,634 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican20.6%74,765 votesOthers: 2.8% (10,120 votes).
Most votes in Denver: Kamala D Harris
Denver County: Harris 76.6%, Trump 20.6% · Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
of Denver’s 537,960 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Colorado: 73%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in the district: Diana Degette
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Denver, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 76.6% | 20.6% | 2.8% | 363,519 |
| Denver County | 76.6% | 20.6% | 2.8% | 363,519 |
| Colorado | 54.1% | 43.1% | 2.7% | 3,192,745 |
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
Denver sends 9 representatives to the Colorado House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorMike Johnstonas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Colorado HouseDenver is split between 9 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 Denver compares with the towns next door
Denver spent $3,060 per resident in 2022; the 6 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $697 to $2,546. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Bow Mar | $697 | $10,000+ |
| Lakewood | $903 | $2,724 |
| Aurora | $1,542 | $2,457 |
| Commerce City | $1,691 | $4,384 |
| Englewood | $2,164 | $2,314 |
| Greenwood Village | $2,546 | $6,492 |
| Littleton | estimate | $3,335 |
| Denver | $3,060 | $2,751 |
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 Denver’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Denver’s government
How much does Denver spend per resident?
About $3,418 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 $3,060 was more than 88% of 249 Colorado cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Denver?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,751 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.45% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see denvergov.org.
Who is the mayor of Denver?
Mike Johnston, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on denvergov.org.
How did Denver vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 76.6%, Donald J Trump 20.6% (363,519 votes, official results). Denver County: Harris 76.6%, Trump 20.6%. Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%.
How many people work for Denver?
12,314 full-time and 1,788 part-time employees in March 2025 (plus 1,766 full-time hospital, health & welfare staff), with a March payroll of $127.2M (about $1.5B a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Denver in the state legislature?
Denver is split among 9 State House districts and 5 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Colorado Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Denver’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 →