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Swink, ColoradoPhoto: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Swink

Swink spent less per resident in 2022 than 74% of similar cities

Swink’s town government spent $375,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $630 per resident. Water and other utilities ($302,000) are counted separately.

Election Day

Today

General election in Colorado.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$375,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$630
In 2022: $630, less than 74% of 150 similar cities
Long-term debt
$314,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
1
full-time · 12 part-time · March payroll $4,746
Typical tax bill
$703
0.43% of home value · CO 0.48%

What stands out about how Swink is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$630 per resident in 2022: less than 74% of them

Swink’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($630 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 $624–$1,753. Swink spent less than 74% of them.

Middle half of the group, $624–$1,753Median $998Swink

Includes sewer and trash ($172,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

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; Swink itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $630 per resident a year, or $1.73 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 46%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 40%Fees & charges 31%Property taxes 15%Other taxes & licenses 9%From the state 4%From other local governments 1%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $14,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $691,000.
Over the years

No trend yet

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

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $703 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.43% of the home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Colorado$2,602
Swink$703
$703
typical bill a year
0.43%
effective rate
$163,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Swink

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

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

One full-time town employee for every 595 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 (595).

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

Administration & buildings0 + 9 pt
Water & other utilities1 + 1 pt
Roads & transportation0 + 2 pt
1
full-time
12
part-time
$4,746
payroll for March 2022
$56,952
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$9,600
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
Compared, 2022.Swink had 1.7 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 9.0: Swink had fewer than 86% 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

Swink School District 33

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

Schools in Swink →
$16,030
per pupil · CO $15,889
302
students
$690,000
long-term debt

Of the $16,030 per pupil, $9,172 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 22%State 69%Federal 9%

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

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Swink’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Otero County’s results8,926 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican61.8%5,520 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat35.4%3,164 votes

Others: 2.7% (242 votes).

Most votes in Otero County: Donald J Trump

Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%

The county’s page

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

Otero 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 Swink

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Swink.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Colorado HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Colorado SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Colorado

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

Reach Swink’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Swink’s government

How much does Swink spend per resident?

About $630 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 $630 was less than 74% of 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Swink?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $703 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.43% 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 Swink’s government?

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

How did Swink vote in 2024?

Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Swink alone. Otero County, where 100% of Swink lies, voted Trump 61.8%, Harris 35.4% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Swink?

1 full-time and 12 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $4,746 (about $56,952 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Swink in the state legislature?

State Senate District 35 (Rod Pelton) and State House District 47 (Ty Winter). The House district also covers 33 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Swink’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 →