ZIP 81252 · Custer County, CO

Three governments run on your community's money

This page shows every government that serves ZIP 81252: the state, county, city or town and school district, and where each one's money comes from and goes.

Each government is shown for its own newest fiscal year on file, so the years differ. Figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, the government's own report or, for Colorado governments, the Colorado Department of Education, as named under Sources and more.

Where do my taxes go in 81252?
81252 is served by the State of Colorado, Custer County and Custer County School District C-1. In each one's latest recorded fiscal year, State of Colorado spent $48.1 billion (fiscal year ended June 30, 2024), Custer County spent $10.2 million (fiscal year ended December 31, 2023) and Custer County School District C-1 spent $6.8 million (fiscal year ended June 30, 2025). Each government's money is separate.

Which governments collect property tax in 81252?
Of the governments serving 81252, Custer County School District C-1 collected $4.6 million (fiscal year ended June 30, 2025) and Custer County collected $2.7 million (fiscal year ended December 31, 2023) in property tax. These are each government's total collections, not a bill for 81252.

See another ZIP code

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

See the full budget for: Custer County and Custer County School District C-1

Why not this year? Colorado governments with newer filings show figures from the Colorado Department of Education (for 2025). Each other figure is the newest year the U.S. Census Bureau has published for that government, so the years differ and are not the current year. Most governments post their current budget on their own website.

Where property tax goes in 81252

Custer County School District C-1$4.6 million

76% of its $6.0 million in revenue · fiscal year ended June 30, 2025

Custer County$2.7 million

26% of its $10.5 million in revenue · fiscal year ended December 31, 2023

These are each government's total property tax collections, not your bill. Your own bill is split by each government's tax rate, shown on your property tax bill.

Your county

This ZIP is outside any city or town, so Custer County provides local services like police and parks.

Custer County

$10.2 million budget in the latest fiscal year on record, which ended December 31, 2023.

Where the money comes from

County taxes54%State tax money18%Federal tax money11%Fees for services (road charges)11%Fines and other5.8%Local tax money1.4%
Full Custer County breakdown

What stands out

23%

of Custer County's money comes from sales tax.A typical U.S. county of under 50,000 people gets 1.6%.

County taxes54%

Property tax
26%$2.7 million
Sales tax
23%$2.4 million
Other taxes
5.0%$527 thousand
What's in other taxesOther licenses and other selective sales taxes
  • Other licenses$421 thousand
  • Other selective sales taxes$106 thousand

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Fees for services11%

Fees for services
11%$1.1 million
What's in fees for servicesOther service charges and road charges
  • Other service charges$1.0 million
  • Road charges$115 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money11%

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

From the federal government
11%$1.2 million

State tax money18%

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

From the state
18%$1.8 million

Local tax money1.4%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From other local governments
1.4%$151 thousand

Fines and other5.8%

Interest, rents and other
5.8%$607 thousand
Custer County page →

Where the money goes

Running the government and other costs40%Roads, transit and parking24%Police, fire, courts and jails23%Health and hospitals7.4%Social services5.5%Interest on debt0.2%

What stands out

5.5%

of Custer County's spending goes to social services.Most U.S. counties of under 50,000 people spend nothing on this.

Full Custer County breakdown

Spending by category100%

Running the government and other costs
40%$4.0 million
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out
  • Other and not broken out$4.0 million
Roads, transit and parking
24%$2.4 million
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways
  • Roads and highways$2.4 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
23%$2.4 million
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPolice
  • Police$2.4 million
Health and hospitals
7.4%$755 thousand
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health
  • Public health$755 thousand
Social services
5.5%$561 thousand
What's in social servicesOther public welfare
  • Other public welfare$561 thousand
Interest on debt
0.2%$24 thousand
Custer County page →

Your schools

Custer County School District C-1

$6.8 million budget in fiscal year 2025 (ended June 30, 2025), from the Colorado Department of Education.

Where the money comes from

School district taxes76%State tax money12%Federal tax money6.9%Fines and other4.7%Fees for services0.2%
Full Custer County School District C-1 breakdown

School district taxes76%

Property tax
76%$4.6 million

Fees for services0.2%

Fees for services
0.2%$13 thousand

Federal tax money6.9%

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

From the federal government
6.9%$415 thousand

State tax money12%

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

From the state
12%$715 thousand

Fines and other4.7%

Interest, rents and other
4.7%$286 thousand
Custer County School District C-1 page →

Where the money goes

Schools and colleges91%Debt payments (principal and interest)9.0%
Full Custer County School District C-1 breakdown

Spending by category100%

Schools and colleges
91%$6.2 million
Debt payments (principal and interest)
9.0%$615 thousand
Custer County School District C-1 page →

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 →
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.

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

Custer County School District C-1. Colorado Department of Education, School View Financial Transparency, fiscal year 2024-25, fiscal year ended June 30, 2025. The earlier Census figures are from U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.

How these figures are counted. Revenue and spending are the financial data that a Colorado government reported to the Colorado Department of Education for the 2024-25 school year, ended June 30, 2025, grouped into the same categories as the Census figures. The data covers the district's general fund and its other governmental funds, such as building, bond payment, food service and grant funds, and its enterprise funds. Borrowing, transfers between the district's own funds and internal service funds are not counted. Property tax is the district's mill levies; other local money such as specific ownership tax and interest shows as other revenue.

Debt payments and construction. The "Debt payments" line includes principal as well as interest, and a few transfers out of the district's funds. The Census figures leave principal out, so spending can be higher than the Census figure for the same district. Construction and equipment costs are counted under schools and colleges, so a year with a building project can show more spending than revenue.

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.