Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Durango spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Durango’s city government spent $79.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $4,085 per resident. Water and other utilities ($9.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Durango is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,137 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them
Durango’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,137 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Colorado cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,224, and the middle half spent $912–$1,674. Durango spent more than 89% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Colorado cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Durango itself left out).
About $4,085 per resident a year, or $11.19 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 90% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Durango 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: $2,137 · 2024: $4,085.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,443 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.22% 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 Durango’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 Durango’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Durango →
Who’s in charge in Durango
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Durango’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on durangogov.org ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 57 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 (19,531).
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.
Durango School District 9-R
Durango’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,301 per pupil, $8,303 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.
Durango’s votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Durango alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are La Plata County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat57.9%20,677 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican39.3%14,024 votesOthers: 2.8% (991 votes).
Most votes in La Plata County: Kamala D Harris
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
100% of Durango lies in La Plata County. Every 2024 race in La Plata County is on the county’s page.
La Plata 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 Durango.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: durangogov.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.
Reach Durango’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Durango’s government
How much does Durango spend per resident?
About $4,085 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 $2,137 was more than 89% of 18 Colorado cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Durango?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,443 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.22% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see durangogov.org.
Who runs Durango’s government?
See durangogov.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Durango yet.
How did Durango vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Durango alone. La Plata County, where 100% of Durango lies, voted Harris 57.9%, Trump 39.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Durango?
345 full-time and 234 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2.1M (about $25.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Durango in the state legislature?
State Senate District 6 (Cleave Simpson) and State House District 59 (Katie Stewart). The House district also covers seven other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Durango’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 →