ZIP 80238 · Denver City and County, CO

Three governments run on your community's money

From the state down to your schools: where each one's money comes from and goes.

Yearly budgets from each government's latest fiscal year on record. Tap one to jump to it.

Your state

State of Colorado

$48.1 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.

Where the money comes from

State taxes42%Federal tax money36%Fees for services (college tuition, hospital bills)13%Fines and other8.1%Local tax money0.2%

What stands out

13%

of Colorado's money comes from fees for services such as water, sewer and parking.A typical state government gets 10%.

Full Colorado breakdown

State taxes42%

Individual income tax
17%$7.52 billion
Sales tax
10%$4.67 billion
Other taxes
9.6%$4.38 billion
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; motor fuel taxes and 13 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$1.61 billion
  • Motor fuel taxes$719 million
  • Insurance premium taxes$548 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$458 million
  • Tobacco taxes$332 million
  • Severance taxes$187 million
  • Amusement taxes$176 million
  • Hunting and fishing licenses$124 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$68.6 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$56.0 million
  • Driver's licenses$44.1 million
  • Corporation licenses$27.9 million
  • Public utility licenses$20.3 million
  • Alcoholic beverage licenses$10.6 million
  • Amusement licenses$1.0 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Business income tax
5.7%$2.59 billion

Fees for services13%

Fees for services
13%$6.13 billion
What's in fees for servicesCollege tuition; hospital bills and 9 more
  • College tuition$2.98 billion
  • Hospital bills$1.63 billion
  • University housing and dining$807 million
  • Other service charges$305 million
  • Road charges$223 million
  • Tolls on roads and bridges$77.4 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$71.6 million
  • Parks and recreation$25.7 million
  • Other education charges$4.2 million
  • Garbage collection$3.8 million
  • Housing$402 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money36%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
36%$16.4 billion

Local tax money0.2%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From local governments
0.2%$94.6 million

Fines and other8.1%

Interest, rents and other
7.2%$3.29 billion
Fines
0.8%$380 million
Colorado page →

Where the money goes

Social services29%Sent to local governments22%Schools and colleges22%Health and hospitals7.5%Police, fire, courts and jails5.8%All other spending14%

What stands out

22%

of Colorado's spending goes to schools and colleges.A typical state government spends 15%.

Full Colorado breakdown

Spending by category100%

Social services
29%$13.7 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare; unemployment and social insurance offices and 2 more
  • Other public welfare$13.6 billion
  • Unemployment and social insurance offices$121 million
  • Welfare institutions$62.3 million
  • Veterans' services$4.2 million
Sent to local governments
22%$10.7 billion
What's in sent to local governmentsSent to school districts; sent to local governments: other public welfare and 21 more
  • Sent to school districts$7.25 billion
  • Sent to local governments: other public welfare$1.04 billion
  • Sent to local governments: roads and highways$745 million
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$441 million
  • Sent to local governments: general support$346 million
  • Sent to local governments: public health$255 million
  • Sent to local governments: other education$242 million
  • Sent to local governments: probation, parole and other corrections$172 million
  • Sent to local governments: natural resources, farming and conservation$79.9 million
  • Sent to local governments: other government administration$43.6 million
  • Sent to local governments: airports$43.4 million
  • Sent to local governments: courts and legal services$37.8 million
  • Sent to local governments: parks and recreation$16.9 million
  • Sent to school districts (colleges)$10.2 million
  • Sent to the federal government$7.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$4.9 million
  • Sent to local governments: police$4.5 million
  • Sent to local governments: finance, tax collection and budgeting$3.5 million
  • Sent to local governments: housing and community development$2.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: garbage and solid waste$2.5 million
  • Sent to local governments: libraries$1.6 million
  • Sent to local governments: inspections and regulation$1.0 million
  • Sent to local governments: hospitals$538 thousand
Schools and colleges
22%$10.5 billion
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; scholarships and other education subsidies and 2 more
  • Colleges and universities$7.14 billion
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$1.24 billion
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$1.15 billion
  • Other education$973 million
Health and hospitals
7.5%$3.60 billion
What's in health and hospitalsHospitals and public health
  • Hospitals$1.85 billion
  • Public health$1.75 billion
Police, fire, courts and jails
5.8%$2.78 billion
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsProbation, parole and other corrections; courts and legal services and 3 more
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$1.06 billion
  • Courts and legal services$956 million
  • Police$333 million
  • Inspections and regulation$218 million
  • Prisons and jails$209 million
Running the government and other costs
5.5%$2.66 billion
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 3 more
  • Other and not broken out$1.38 billion
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$868 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$264 million
  • Other government administration$132 million
  • Government buildings$22.0 million
Roads, transit and parking
3.7%$1.76 billion
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; toll roads and bridges and 2 more
  • Roads and highways$1.70 billion
  • Toll roads and bridges$63.7 million
  • Airports$2.5 million
  • Public transit$23 thousand
Interest on debt
2.4%$1.13 billion
What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt and interest on water supply debt
  • Interest on general debt$1.13 billion
  • Interest on water supply debt$5.7 million
Environment and natural resources
1.2%$589 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$589 million
Housing and community development
0.9%$420 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.3%$159 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$150 million
  • Libraries$8.9 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
<0.1%$20.8 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesGarbage and solid waste; sewer systems and 1 more
  • Garbage and solid waste$11.8 million
  • Sewer systems$4.8 million
  • Water supply$4.3 million
Colorado page →

Your town

Denver County is served by a consolidated city-county government, so there is no separate county section.

Denver City and County

$5.59 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended December 31, 2023.

Where the money comes from

Fees for services (airport, water)41%City-county taxes39%Fines and other9.8%State tax money5.0%County and local tax money2.6%Federal tax money2.0%
Full Denver City and County breakdown

What stands out

22%

of Denver City and County's money comes from sales tax.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people gets 7.8%.

City-county taxes39%

Sales tax
22%$1.31 billion
Property tax
11%$645 million
Other taxes
6.9%$418 million
What's in other taxesOther selective sales taxes; other licenses and 4 more
  • Other selective sales taxes$217 million
  • Other licenses$67.8 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$56.6 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$39.5 million
  • Amusement taxes$20.6 million
  • Public utility taxes$16.6 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services41%

Fees for services
41%$2.51 billion
What's in fees for servicesAirport; other service charges and 6 more
  • Airport$1.30 billion
  • Other service charges$367 million
  • Water$352 million
  • Sewer$213 million
  • Parks and recreation$147 million
  • Other government-run businesses$94.0 million
  • Garbage collection$18.1 million
  • Housing$14.3 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money2.0%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
2.0%$121 million

State tax money5.0%

Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.

From the state
5.0%$303 million

County and local tax money2.6%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
2.6%$155 million

Fines and other9.8%

Interest, rents and other
9.2%$556 million
Fines
0.6%$37.6 million
Denver City and County page →

Where the money goes

Roads, transit and parking30%Water, sewer, trash and utilities15%Running the government and other costs15%Police, fire, courts and jails14%Interest on debt10%All other spending16%

What stands out

30%

of Denver City and County's spending goes to roads, transit and parking.A typical U.S. city of 50,000+ people spends 10%.

Full Denver City and County breakdown

Spending by category100%

Roads, transit and parking
30%$1.70 billion
What's in roads, transit and parkingAirports and roads and highways
  • Airports$1.43 billion
  • Roads and highways$267 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
15%$826 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesWater supply; sewer systems and 1 more
  • Water supply$632 million
  • Sewer systems$177 million
  • Garbage and solid waste$16.0 million
Running the government and other costs
15%$824 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 2 more
  • Other and not broken out$394 million
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$296 million
  • Other government-run businesses$69.2 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$64.2 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
14%$806 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice; prisons and jails and 3 more
  • Police$325 million
  • Prisons and jails$171 million
  • Fire protection$164 million
  • Courts and legal services$138 million
  • Inspections and regulation$8.8 million
Interest on debt
10%$558 million
What's in interest on debtInterest on general debt and interest on water supply debt
  • Interest on general debt$521 million
  • Interest on water supply debt$37.1 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
5.3%$299 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$242 million
  • Libraries$56.9 million
Housing and community development
3.8%$215 million
Social services
3.8%$212 million
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$212 million
Health and hospitals
2.2%$123 million
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$123 million
Environment and natural resources
0.3%$18.1 million
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$18.1 million
Sent to other local governments
0.2%$12.5 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to local governments: other and not broken out and sent to the state government
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$12.4 million
  • Sent to the state government$64 thousand
Denver City and County page →

Your schools

Denver School District 1

$2.10 billion budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended June 30, 2024.

Where the money comes from

School district taxes63%State tax money27%Fines and other6.8%Fees for services (school tuition and transportation, school lunches)2.4%Federal tax money0.6%County and local tax money0.3%
Full Denver School District 1 breakdown

What stands out

63%

of Denver School District 1's money comes from property tax.A typical school district with 25,000+ students gets 33%.

School district taxes63%

Property tax
63%$1.32 billion

Fees for services2.4%

Fees for services
2.4%$51.5 million
What's in fees for servicesSchool tuition and transportation; other school charges and 1 more
  • School tuition and transportation$34.1 million
  • Other school charges$16.3 million
  • School lunches$1.1 million

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money0.6%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
0.6%$12.7 million

State tax money27%

Money the state passes on, paid for by the state taxes residents also pay.

From the state
27%$577 million

County and local tax money0.3%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From the county and other local governments
0.3%$7.2 million

Fines and other6.8%

Interest, rents and other
6.8%$142 million
Denver School District 1 page →

Where the money goes

Schools and colleges93%Interest on debt6.8%Sent to other local governments0.4%

What stands out

6.8%

of Denver School District 1's spending goes to interest on debt.A typical school district with 25,000+ students spends 2.2%.

Full Denver School District 1 breakdown

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
93%$1.95 billion
What's in schools and collegesElementary and secondary schools
  • Elementary and secondary schools$1.95 billion
Interest on debt
6.8%$142 million
Sent to other local governments
0.4%$8.2 million
What's in sent to other local governmentsSent to school districts and sent to the state government
  • Sent to school districts$4.6 million
  • Sent to the state government$3.7 million
Denver School District 1 page →
Sources and moreEach government's source, fiscal year and how a ZIP is matched

State of Colorado. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.

Denver City and County. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

Denver School District 1. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.

How a ZIP is matched. A ZIP code is not a government boundary, so we match it to the cities, counties and school districts that overlap it, using Census Bureau geography. Where a ZIP crosses several, each one is shown with its share of the ZIP. Each government's money covers its own operations only; the others listed here are separate.

Latest recorded year. The year differs by government: each block shows the newest fiscal year on file. A Census survey year covers fiscal years ending July 1 of the year before through June 30 of that year.