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Naturita, Colorado town hallPhoto: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Naturita

Naturita spent less per resident in 2022 than 91% of similar cities

Naturita’s town government spent $167,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $317 per resident. Water and other utilities ($214,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$167,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$317
In 2022: $317, less than 91% of 150 similar cities
Long-term debt
$69,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
10
full-time · 8 part-time · March payroll $21,664
Typical tax bill
$516
0.33% of home value · CO 0.48%

What stands out about how Naturita is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Spends less than most similar citiesIn 2022: $317 per resident, less than 91% of 150 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer55% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares West End School District RE-2 with 1 other town.Lower tax billsThe typical bill is $516 a year: 0.33% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado.
Compared with similar places

$317 per resident in 2022: less than 91% of them

Naturita’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($317 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 $998, and the middle half spent $626–$1,753. Naturita spent less than 91% of them.

Middle half of the group, $626–$1,753Median $998Naturita

Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
150

Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Naturita itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $317 per resident a year, or $0.87 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: health & welfare, at 8%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 39%Utility sales 22%From the state 14%Fees & charges 13%Other taxes & licenses 5%Property taxes 3%From other local governments 3%Interest, fines & other 2%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $39,000; interest on debt $3,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $430,000.
About “Other”.89% of Naturita’s day-to-day spending ($148,000) is filed by the Census Bureau outside the named functions above, so the receipt can’t say what it buys.
Over the years

No trend yet

Naturita reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $516 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.33% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Colorado$2,602
Naturita$516
$516
typical bill a year
0.33%
effective rate
$158,400
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Naturita’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 Naturita’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Naturita →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Naturita

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Naturita’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Naturita yet.
Who works for Naturita

One full-time town employee for every 53 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (526).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Sewer & trash4
Water & other utilities4
Roads & transportation0 + 5 pt
Administration & buildings2
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 1 pt
Parks & libraries0 + 1 pt
Other0 + 1 pt
10
full-time
8
part-time
$21,664
payroll for March 2022
$259,968
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$21,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Naturita had 19.0 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 112 of the 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 8.6: Naturita had more than 85% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

West End School District RE-2

Naturita’s K–12 school district, shared with Nucla. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Naturita →
$16,656
per pupil · CO $15,889
256
students
$1.3 million
long-term debt

Of the $16,656 per pupil, $7,465 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 7%State 91%Federal 2%

Colorado districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Naturita’s votes are counted by county

Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Naturita alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Montrose County’s results.

President · Montrose County’s results25,626 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican65.2%16,704 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat32.6%8,354 votes

Others: 2.2% (568 votes).

Most votes in Montrose County: Donald J Trump

Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%

The county’s page

100% of Naturita lies in Montrose County. Every 2024 race in Montrose County is on the county’s page.

Montrose County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Naturita

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Naturita.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Colorado HouseState representatives
    Larry Suckla
  3. 3
    Colorado SenateState senator
    Cleave Simpson
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Jared Polis
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Jeff Hurd
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Colorado
    Michael F. BennetJohn W. Hickenlooper

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Naturita’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Naturita’s government

How much does Naturita spend per resident?

About $317 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 $317 was less than 91% of 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Naturita?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $516 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.33% 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 Naturita’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Naturita yet.

How did Naturita vote in 2024?

Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Naturita alone. Montrose County, where 100% of Naturita lies, voted Trump 65.2%, Harris 32.6% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Naturita?

10 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $21,664 (about $259,968 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Naturita in the state legislature?

State Senate District 6 (Cleave Simpson) and State House District 58 (Larry Suckla). The House district also covers 21 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Naturita’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →