Stone House · Photo: Xnatedawgx · CC BY-SA 3.0Lakewood spent less per resident in 2022 than 93% of similar cities
Lakewood’s city government spent $163.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, about $1,044 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau.
City Council
7:00 pm · Hybrid - Zoom or Council Chambers at 480 S. Allison Parkway, 80226
All meetings →What stands out about how Lakewood is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Lakewood’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov9City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Hybrid - Zoom or Council Chambers at 480 S. Allison Parkway, 80226Regular City Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov16City Council Study SessionMonday · 6:00 pmOne Time EventMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov16City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Virtual - ZoomCity Council Study SessionMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov23City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Hybrid - Zoom or Council Chambers at 480 S. Allison Parkway, 80226Regular City Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec7City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Virtual - ZoomCity Council Study SessionMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Dec14City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Hybrid - Zoom or Council Chambers at 480 S. Allison Parkway, 80226Regular City Council MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov2City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Virtual - ZoomCity Council Study SessionMeeting page ↗
- Oct26City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Hybrid - Zoom or Council Chambers at 480 S. Allison Parkway, 80226Regular City Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct19City Council Study SessionMonday · 8:00 pmOne Time EventMeeting page ↗
- Oct19City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · Virtual - ZoomCity Council Study SessionMeeting page ↗
- Oct12City CouncilMonday · 7:00 pm · Hybrid - Zoom or Council Chambers at 480 S. Allison Parkway, 80226Regular City Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,044 per resident a year, or $2.86 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 36%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$903 per resident in 2022: less than 93% of them
Lakewood’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($903 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 15 Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,480, and the middle half spent $1,108–$2,028. Lakewood spent less than 93% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.8 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 of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Lakewood itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 15% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Lakewood 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: $903 · 2023: $1,044.
full-time in March 2025, up from 808 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,724 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.47% 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 Lakewood’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 Lakewood’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lakewood →
Who’s in charge in Lakewood
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 181 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (156,605).
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.
Jefferson County School District R-1
Lakewood’s K–12 school district, shared with Edgewater, Golden, Lakeside, Morrison, Mountain View and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,276 per pupil, $8,089 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.
Lakewood’s votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lakewood alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Jefferson County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat58.3%210,875 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican38.8%140,505 votesOthers: 2.9% (10,336 votes).
Most votes in Jefferson County: Kamala D Harris
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
100% of Lakewood lies in Jefferson County. Every 2024 race in Jefferson County is on the county’s page.
Jefferson 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 Lakewood.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: lakewood.org ↗
- 2Colorado HouseLakewood is split between 3 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 Lakewood compares with the towns next door
Lakewood spent $903 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $1,350 to $6,502. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Wheat Ridge | $1,350 | $2,757 |
| Edgewater | $1,697 | $2,485 |
| Golden | $1,991 | $3,811 |
| Denver | $3,060 | $2,751 |
| Morrison | $6,502 | $3,571 |
| Lakewood | $903 | $2,724 |
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 Lakewood’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Lakewood’s government
How much does Lakewood spend per resident?
About $1,044 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $903 was less than 93% of 15 Colorado cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lakewood?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,724 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.47% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see lakewood.org.
Who runs Lakewood’s government?
See lakewood.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lakewood yet.
How did Lakewood vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lakewood alone. Jefferson County, where 100% of Lakewood lies, voted Harris 58.3%, Trump 38.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lakewood?
867 full-time and 33 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $7.6M (about $90.8M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Lakewood in the state legislature?
Lakewood is split among 3 State House districts and 2 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Colorado Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Lakewood?
The next posted meeting is City Council on Monday, November 9, at 7:00 pm in Hybrid - Zoom or Council Chambers at 480 S. Allison Parkway, 80226, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Lakewood’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 →