Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0Lone Tree spent more per resident in 2022 than 72% of similar cities
Lone Tree’s city government spent $47.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $3,347 per resident. Water and other utilities ($631,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lone Tree is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,735 per resident in 2022: more than 72% of them
Lone Tree’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,735 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–$1,688. Lone Tree spent more than 72% 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; Lone Tree itself left out).
About $3,347 per resident a year, or $9.17 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 22%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 101% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Lone Tree 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: $1,735 · 2023: $2,946 · 2024: $3,347. Per resident it went from $1,735 to $3,347 (up 93%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 13,614 to 14,177.
full-time in March 2025, up from 121 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 $5,186 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.59% 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 Lone Tree’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 Lone Tree’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lone Tree →
Who’s in charge in Lone Tree
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Lone Tree’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityoflonetree.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 93 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 (14,177).
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.
Douglas County School District RE-1
Lone Tree’s K–12 school district, shared with Castle Pines, Castle Rock, Larkspur, Parker. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,658 per pupil, $8,445 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.
Lone Tree’s votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lone Tree alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Douglas County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican52.3%127,451 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat45.3%110,408 votesOthers: 2.5% (6,033 votes).
Most votes in Douglas County: Donald J Trump
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
100% of Lone Tree lies in Douglas County. Every 2024 race in Douglas County is on the county’s page.
Douglas 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 Lone Tree.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityoflonetree.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.
How Lone Tree compares with the towns next door
Lone Tree spent $1,735 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lone Tree | $1,735 | $5,186 |
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 Lone Tree’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Lone Tree’s government
How much does Lone Tree spend per resident?
About $3,347 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 $1,735 was more than 72% of 18 Colorado cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lone Tree?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,186 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.59% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityoflonetree.com.
Who runs Lone Tree’s government?
See cityoflonetree.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lone Tree yet.
How did Lone Tree vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Lone Tree alone. Douglas County, where 100% of Lone Tree lies, voted Trump 52.3%, Harris 45.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lone Tree?
153 full-time and 34 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.8M (about $21.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lone Tree in the state legislature?
State Senate District 30 (John Carson) and State House District 39 (Brandi Bradley). The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lone Tree’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 →