Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0Salida spent more per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities
Salida’s city government spent $10.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,829 per resident. Water and other utilities ($3.3 million) and the airport ($175,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Salida is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$2,275 per resident in 2022: more than 78% of them
Salida’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,275 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. Salida spent more than 78% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.4 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 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Salida itself left out).
About $1,829 per resident a year, or $5.01 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 28%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 18% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Salida 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: $2,275 · 2023: $2,059 · 2024: $1,829.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,678 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.26% 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 Salida’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 Salida’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Salida →
Who’s in charge in Salida
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Salida’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofsalida.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 70 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (5,809).
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.
Salida School District R-32
Salida’s K–12 school district, shared with Poncha Springs. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,537 per pupil, $8,159 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.
Salida’s votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Salida alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Chaffee County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat55.4%7,992 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican41.8%6,034 votesOthers: 2.8% (397 votes).
Most votes in Chaffee County: Kamala D Harris
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
100% of Salida lies in Chaffee County. Every 2024 race in Chaffee County is on the county’s page.
Chaffee 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 Salida.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofsalida.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 Salida’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Salida’s government
How much does Salida spend per resident?
About $1,829 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 $2,275 was more than 78% of 54 Colorado cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Salida?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,678 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.26% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofsalida.com.
Who runs Salida’s government?
See cityofsalida.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Salida yet.
How did Salida vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Salida alone. Chaffee County, where 100% of Salida lies, voted Harris 55.4%, Trump 41.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Salida?
83 full-time and 72 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $458,087 (about $5.5M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Salida in the state legislature?
State Senate District 4 (Mark Baisley) 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 Salida’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 →