Photo: Xnatedawgx · CC BY-SA 3.0Empire spent more per resident in 2022 than 76% of similar cities
Empire’s town government spent $539,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,785 per resident. Water and other utilities ($289,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Empire is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,785 per resident in 2022: more than 76% of them
Empire’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,785 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. Empire spent more than 76% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($92,000), 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 under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Empire itself left out).
About $1,785 per resident a year, or $4.89 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 38%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Empire reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,500 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.42% 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 Empire’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 Empire’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Empire →
Who’s in charge in Empire
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 302 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (302).
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.
Clear Creek School District RE-1
Empire’s K–12 school district, shared with Georgetown, Idaho Springs, Silver Plume. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,423 per pupil, $9,479 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.
Empire’s votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Empire alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Clear Creek County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat56.8%3,464 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican40.2%2,452 votesOthers: 3.0% (186 votes).
Most votes in Clear Creek County: Kamala D Harris
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
100% of Empire lies in Clear Creek County. Every 2024 race in Clear Creek County is on the county’s page.
Clear Creek 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 Empire.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Empire’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Empire’s government
How much does Empire spend per resident?
About $1,785 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 $1,785 was more than 76% of 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Empire?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,500 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.42% 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 Empire’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Empire yet.
How did Empire vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Empire alone. Clear Creek County, where 100% of Empire lies, voted Harris 56.8%, Trump 40.2% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Empire?
1 full-time and 2 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $10,186 (about $122,232 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Empire 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 Empire’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 →