Town Hall · Denver

Denver, CO town hall & government

Denver spent $5.6 billion in the year to December 31, 2024, about $7,841 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Denver's government.

Local leadership

Who runs Denver

From public records (Open States and Wikidata), which can lag behind an election. If a name is out of date, tell us: when two neighbors agree, it's hidden until the records catch up.

Town budget

Where Denver's money goes

Spent
$5.6 billion
fiscal year to December 31, 2024
Per resident
$7,841
typical Colorado cities: $3,667
Long-term debt
$9 billion
$12,637 per resident
Roads & transportation
$1.7 billion30%
Water & other utilities
$669.4 million12%
Interest on debt
$520.9 million9%
Administration & buildings
$360.7 million6%
Health & welfare
$335.8 million6%
Police
$324.6 million6%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$317.8 million6%
Parks & libraries
$299 million5%
Housing & development
$215 million4%
Sewer & trash
$193.4 million3%
Fire
$163.6 million3%
Paid to other governments
$12.5 million<1%
Other
$481.2 million9%

Where the money comes from

  • Fees & charges 36%
  • Sales taxes 26%
  • Property taxes 11%
  • Interest, fines & other 10%
  • Utility sales 6%
  • From the state 5%
  • Other taxes & licenses 3%
  • From other local governments 3%
  • From the federal government 2%
Town workforce

Who works for Denver

Full-time staff
14,080
1,788 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$105,800
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
1,511
and 1,102 full-time firefighters
Parks & libraries
1,994 full-time1,460 part
Police
2,094 full-time80 part
Health & welfare
1,766 full-time66 part
Roads & transportation
1,717 full-time29 part
Courts, inspections & corrections
1,661 full-time36 part
Administration & buildings
1,268 full-time96 part
Fire
1,151 full-time1 part
Water & other utilities
1,106 full-time10 part
Sewer & trash
398 full-time4 part
Housing & development
397 full-time3 part
Other
528 full-time3 part

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Denver County School District 1

Denver's K–12 school district. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$17,972
Colorado: $15,889
Students
88,258
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$2.8 billion
at year end

Where the district's money comes from Colorado districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal

  • Local 72%
  • State 17%
  • Federal 11%

Of the $17,972 per pupil, $8,623 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Property tax

What homeowners in Denver pay

Typical tax bill
$2,751
a year · Colorado typical $2,602
Effective rate
0.45%
of home value · Colorado 0.48%
Typical home value
$616,000
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact Denver's government

🏛️ Official websitedenvergov.org ↗

Town hall & decisions in Denver →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Denver

Denver is represented in Congress by Senators Michael F. Bennet and John W. Hickenlooper and Representative Diana DeGette. Jared Polis is governor.

All of Denver's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

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Denver

Colorado · CO
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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01