Vail spent more per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Vail’s town government spent $58.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $12,607 per resident. Water and other utilities ($6.8 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Vail is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$7,811 per resident in 2022: more than 96% of them
Vail’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($7,811 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. Vail spent more than 96% of 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; Vail itself left out).
About $12,607 per resident a year, or $34.54 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 26%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 36% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Vail 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: $7,811 · 2023: $12,814 · 2024: $12,607. Per resident it went from $7,811 to $12,607 (up 61%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 5,489 to 4,636.
full-time in March 2025, up from 291 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 $4,045 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.29% 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 Vail’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 Vail’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Vail →
Who’s in charge in Vail
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Vail’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on vailgov.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 14 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 2024 finance file (4,636).
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.
Eagle County School District RE 50
Vail’s K–12 school district, shared with Avon, Carbonate, Eagle, Gypsum, Minturn and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,598 per pupil, $9,519 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.
Vail’s votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Vail alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Eagle County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat60.9%16,943 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican36.5%10,148 votesOthers: 2.6% (714 votes).
Most votes in Eagle County: Kamala D Harris
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
100% of Vail lies in Eagle County. Every 2024 race in Eagle County is on the county’s page.
Eagle 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 Vail.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: vailgov.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 Vail’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Vail’s government
How much does Vail spend per resident?
About $12,607 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 $7,811 was more than 96% of 54 Colorado cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Vail?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,045 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.29% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.48% across Colorado. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see vailgov.com.
Who runs Vail’s government?
See vailgov.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Vail yet.
How did Vail vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Vail alone. Eagle County, where 100% of Vail lies, voted Harris 60.9%, Trump 36.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Vail?
337 full-time and 28 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.9M (about $34.6M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Vail in the state legislature?
State Senate District 8 (Dylan Roberts) and State House District 26 (Meghan Lukens). The House district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Vail’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 →