Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Vilas spent more per resident in 2022 than 89% of similar cities
Vilas’ town government spent $377,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $3,557 per resident. Water and other utilities ($30,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Vilas is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$3,557 per resident in 2022: more than 89% of them
Vilas’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,557 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 $990, and the middle half spent $624–$1,732. Vilas spent more than 89% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($360,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Vilas itself left out).
About $3,557 per resident a year, or $9.75 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 95%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Vilas reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $614 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.94% 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 Vilas’ 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 Vilas’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Vilas →
Who’s in charge in Vilas
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Vilas School District RE-5
Vilas’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $30,017 per pupil, $12,172 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.
Colorado districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Vilas’ votes are counted by county
Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Vilas alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Baca County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican84.1%1,686 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat13.7%275 votesOthers: 2.1% (43 votes).
Most votes in Baca County: Donald J Trump
Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%
100% of Vilas lies in Baca County. Every 2024 race in Baca County is on the county’s page.
Baca 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 Vilas.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 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 Vilas’ government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Vilas’ government
How much does Vilas spend per resident?
About $3,557 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 $3,557 was more than 89% of 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Vilas?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $614 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.94% 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 Vilas’ government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Vilas yet.
How did Vilas vote in 2024?
Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Vilas alone. Baca County, where 100% of Vilas lies, voted Trump 84.1%, Harris 13.7% for president; its page has every race.
Who represents Vilas 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 Vilas’ 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 →