Photo: Public domain · Public domainGrand Lake spent more per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities
Grand Lake’s town government spent $3.8 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $9,483 per resident. Water and other utilities ($683,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Grand Lake is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$7,908 per resident in 2022: more than 97% of them
Grand Lake’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($7,908 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. Grand Lake spent more than 97% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($60,000), 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; Grand Lake itself left out).
About $9,483 per resident a year, or $25.98 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 11%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 2% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Grand Lake 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: $7,908 · 2024: $9,483. Per resident it went from $7,908 to $9,483 (up 20%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 476 to 404.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,200 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.41% 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 Grand Lake’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 Grand Lake’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Grand Lake →
Who’s in charge in Grand Lake
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Grand Lake’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on townofgrandlake.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 22 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 (404).
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.
East Grand School District 2
Grand Lake’s K–12 school district, shared with Fraser, Granby, Hot Sulphur Springs, Winter Park. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,532 per pupil, $9,732 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.
Grand Lake’s votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Grand Lake alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Grand County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.8%4,822 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat48.0%4,743 votesOthers: 3.2% (319 votes).
Most votes in Grand County: Donald J Trump
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
100% of Grand Lake lies in Grand County. Every 2024 race in Grand County is on the county’s page.
Grand 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 Grand Lake.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofgrandlake.com ↗
- 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 Grand Lake’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Grand Lake’s government
How much does Grand Lake spend per resident?
About $9,483 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 $7,908 was more than 97% of 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Grand Lake?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,200 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.41% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofgrandlake.com.
Who runs Grand Lake’s government?
See townofgrandlake.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Grand Lake yet.
How did Grand Lake vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Grand Lake alone. Grand County, where 100% of Grand Lake lies, voted Trump 48.8%, Harris 48.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Grand Lake?
18 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $118,757 (about $1.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Grand Lake in the state legislature?
State Senate District 8 (Dylan Roberts) and State House District 13 (Julie McCluskie). The House district also covers 19 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Grand Lake’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 →