Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0Estes Park spent more per resident in 2022 than 80% of similar cities
Estes Park’s town government spent $18.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $3,165 per resident. Water and other utilities ($22.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Estes Park is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$2,537 per resident in 2022: more than 80% of them
Estes Park’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,537 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 54 Colorado cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,506, and the middle half spent $1,045–$2,002. Estes Park spent more than 80% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Colorado cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Estes Park itself left out).
About $3,165 per resident a year, or $8.67 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 35%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 12% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Estes Park 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: $2,537 · 2023: $3,106 · 2024: $3,165. Per resident it went from $2,537 to $3,165 (up 25%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 6,553 to 5,862.
full-time in March 2025, up from 154 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 $2,546 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.38% 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 Estes Park’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 Estes Park’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Estes Park →
Who’s in charge in Estes Park
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Estes Park’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on estes.org ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 35 residents
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 (5,862).
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.
Estes Park School District R-3
Estes Park’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,226 per pupil, $9,887 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.
Estes Park’s votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Estes Park alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Larimer County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat57.3%129,376 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican39.7%89,680 votesOthers: 2.9% (6,598 votes).
Most votes in Larimer County: Kamala D Harris
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
100% of Estes Park lies in Larimer County. Every 2024 race in Larimer County is on the county’s page.
Larimer 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 Estes Park.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: estes.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 Estes Park’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Estes Park’s government
How much does Estes Park spend per resident?
About $3,165 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 $2,537 was more than 80% of 54 Colorado cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Estes Park?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,546 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.38% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see estes.org.
Who runs Estes Park’s government?
See estes.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Estes Park yet.
How did Estes Park vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Estes Park alone. Larimer County, where 100% of Estes Park lies, voted Harris 57.3%, Trump 39.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Estes Park?
166 full-time and 4 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.3M (about $16.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Estes Park in the state legislature?
State Senate District 15 (Janice Marchman) 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 Estes Park’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 →