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Commerce City · FY2016 municipal finance benchmarks

Adams County · Denver Metro · home rule municipality · Pop. 72,345 (2025 estimate); FY2016 per-resident figures use 53,201 · Census finance data FY2016–FY2023

You’re viewing FY2016. See the latest view (FY2023). Latest Census Bureau finance data for Commerce City: FY2023. Retrieved Oct 2026. Newer years are added when the Census Bureau publishes them. Why the lag?

City website (opens in a new tab)

Compare

FY2016 in brief

Commerce City collected $1,905 per resident, 9% above the median of the 224 Colorado municipalities reporting that year, 15% below its peers. Tax revenue per resident sits 43% above its peers, and 2.0× the state median. Debt per resident runs 3.8× peers.

Regional hub: sales tax per resident is 1.9× the Colorado median.

Generated from the figures below. Every number links to its Census source.

Compared with

Nearest on population, household income and region

FY2016 headline figures

Revenue per resident (definition)

$1,905
15% below peers
Peer median
$2,245
CO median · 224 with a published figure
$1,746
Position
Higher than 56% of the 224 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars
Not enough history for a 5-year change
How Colorado compares on revenue per resident

Expenditures per resident (definition)

$1,925
6% above peers
Peer median
$1,821
CO median · 196 with a published figure
$1,749
Position
Higher than 54% of the 196 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars
Not enough history for a 5-year change

Tax revenue per resident (definition)

$1,413
43% above peers
Peer median
$991
CO median · 193 with a published figure
$705
Position
Higher than 83% of the 193 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars
Not enough history for a 5-year change

Debt per resident (definition)

$5,874
3.8× peers
Peer median
$1,551
CO median · 220 with a published figure
$1,072
Position
Higher than 95% of the 220 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars
Not enough history for a 5-year change
How Colorado compares on debt per resident

How this number was calculated

Revenue per resident · $1,905
Reported by the city to the Census Bureau

  1. 1Metric

    $1,905 Total revenue divided by population

    = Total revenue ÷ population

    Full definition: Revenue per resident

  2. 2Inputs

    Total revenue $101.4M ÷ population 53,201 (2016 estimate)

  3. 3Census line items

    • A81 Solid waste charges
    • A89 General government (other) charges
    • C30 State aid
    • C46 State aid
    • C89 State aid
    • D46 Local government aid
    • T01 Property tax
    • T09 General sales tax
    • T15 Selective sales taxes (lodging, utilities, etc.)
    • T29 Licenses & permits
    • T99 Other taxes
    • U20 Interest earnings
    • U30 Fines & forfeits
    • U50 Private donations
    • U99 Miscellaneous

  4. 4Source file

What the numbers mean

  • Debt per resident is 3.8× the peer median. One large bond issue can do this; check the city's annual financial report for what it funded.

Where the money comes from and where it goes

Per resident, FY2016. Bars show Commerce City; the gold tick is the peer median. How categories work

Regional hub: sales tax per resident is 1.9× the Colorado median.

Sales tax per resident is high, which usually means many non-residents shop, stay or work here. Per-resident figures divide citywide totals by residents only, so they overstate what residents themselves pay and use.

The biggest difference from peers is General government: $1,014 per resident, 98% above the peer median. On the revenue side, sales tax is 37% above peers.

Money in

Revenue

$1,905
per resident15% below peers
Money in: Commerce City revenue per resident by category, FY2016, against the peer median. Open a category for its lines and Census item codes.
CategoryPer residentvs peers
$1,04137% abovepeers $759
$22437% belowpeers $357
$2062.0×peers $103
$16611% abovepeers $149
$15012% belowpeers $170
$11936% belowpeers $186
None reported · peers $220$0None reported
Peer median of 5 peers · Colorado median of 224 reporting

Money out

Spending

$1,925
per resident6% above peers
Money out: Commerce City spending per resident by category, FY2016, against the peer median. Open a category for its lines and Census item codes.
CategoryPer residentvs peers
$1,01498% abovepeers $512
$29518% belowpeers $358
$27911% abovepeers $252
$1932.6×peers $74
$14438% belowpeers $232
None reported · peers $362$0None reported
None reported · peers $7$0None reported
Peer median of 5 peers · Colorado median of 196 reporting

Commerce City and its peers

The five Colorado municipalities nearest on population, median household income and region. Budget size isn’t a matching factor, so peers aren’t chosen on the figures being compared. Per resident, FY2016. How peers are chosen

Open in Compare
Commerce City compared with its peer municipalities, FY2016, per resident
MunicipalityRevenueExpendituresTax revenueSales taxDebt
Commerce CityRegional hub: Sales tax per resident is 1.9× the Colorado median.$1,905$1,925$1,413$1,041$5,874
Littleton$2,245$1,943$991$753$718
Parker$1,525$1,576$982$804$1,247
BroomfieldUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 7.8% of total revenue in FY2016. Revenue and spending per resident include them, so cities that run their own utilities read higher than cities that don't.Regional hub: Sales tax per resident is 1.9× the Colorado median.$2,826$2,481$1,926$1,039$3,922
Castle RockUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 19.4% of total revenue in FY2016. Revenue and spending per resident include them, so cities that run their own utilities read higher than cities that don't.$2,292$1,821$940$731$1,551
BrightonUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 13.0% of total revenue in FY2016. Revenue and spending per resident include them, so cities that run their own utilities read higher than cities that don't.$1,890$1,748$1,061$759$1,607
Peer median$2,245$1,821$991$759$1,551

Utilities marks a municipality whose revenue and spending include city-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit), which raises its per-resident totals.

Regional hub marks a municipality whose sales tax per resident is at least 1.5× the Colorado median: a shopping or visitor hub where people who live elsewhere pay much of the sales tax.

Trends

Every available fiscal year. Lines break where a year is missing or withheld; nothing is interpolated.

  • This city
  • Peer median
  • Withheld (shown on the axis, no value)
  • Colorado median (Census of Governments years only)
Revenue per resident
FY2016 $1,905 to FY2023 $2,552.$0$1.4K$2.8K’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23Peer median FY2016: $2,245Peer median FY2017: $2,278Peer median FY2018: $2,516Peer median FY2019: $2,771Peer median FY2020: $2,545Peer median FY2021: $2,554Peer median FY2022: $2,597Peer median FY2023: $2,705Colorado median FY2016: $1,746 (all 224 municipalities reporting)Colorado median FY2021: $2,476 (all 227 municipalities reporting)FY2016: $1,905FY2017: $2,383FY2018: $2,488FY2019: $2,128FY2020: $2,025FY2021: $2,433FY2022: $2,351FY2023: $2,552

Fiscal year · nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation

Peer group changed in FY2017, FY2018, FY2020, FY2021, FY2023. Peers are matched each year, so the peer median can step when the group changes.

Show data table
Revenue per resident by fiscal year
YearThis cityPeer medianColorado median
FY2016$1,905$2,245$1,746 (224 reporting)
FY2017$2,383$2,278$2,694 (35 reporting, sample year)
FY2018$2,488$2,516$2,529 (75 reporting, sample year)
FY2019$2,128$2,771$2,694 (73 reporting, sample year)
FY2020$2,025$2,545$2,739 (76 reporting, sample year)
FY2021$2,433$2,554$2,476 (227 reporting)
FY2022$2,351$2,597$3,031 (72 reporting, sample year)
FY2023$2,552$2,705$3,580 (97 reporting, sample year)
Expenditures per resident
FY2016 $1,925 to FY2023 $1,855.$0$1.7K$3.4K’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23Peer median FY2016: $1,821Peer median FY2017: $1,974Peer median FY2018: $2,028Peer median FY2019: $3,156Peer median FY2020: $3,045Peer median FY2021: $2,939Peer median FY2022: $3,045Peer median FY2023: $2,569Colorado median FY2016: $1,749 (all 224 municipalities reporting)Colorado median FY2021: $2,208 (all 227 municipalities reporting)FY2016: $1,925FY2017: $3,247FY2018: $3,401FY2019: $1,620FY2020: $1,787FY2021: $1,998FY2022: $1,798. Excludes equipment purchases and payments to other governments, which Census stopped reporting after FY2021.FY2023: $1,855. Excludes equipment purchases and payments to other governments, which Census stopped reporting after FY2021.

Fiscal year · nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation

Census definition change: Excludes equipment purchases and payments to other governments, which Census stopped reporting after FY2021.

Peer group changed in FY2017, FY2018, FY2020, FY2021, FY2023. Peers are matched each year, so the peer median can step when the group changes.

Show data table
Expenditures per resident by fiscal year
YearThis cityPeer medianColorado median
FY2016$1,925$1,821$1,749 (196 reporting)
FY2017$3,247$1,974$2,663 (35 reporting, sample year)
FY2018$3,401$2,028$2,387 (74 reporting, sample year)
FY2019$1,620$3,156$2,759 (71 reporting, sample year)
FY2020$1,787$3,045$2,485 (74 reporting, sample year)
FY2021$1,998$2,939$2,208 (220 reporting)
FY2022$1,798$3,045$3,025 (71 reporting, sample year)
FY2023$1,855$2,569$3,680 (91 reporting, sample year)
Tax revenue per resident
FY2016 $1,413 to FY2023 $1,867.$0$956.3$1.9K’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23Peer median FY2016: $991Peer median FY2017: $1,025Peer median FY2018: $1,117Peer median FY2019: $1,047Peer median FY2020: $1,190Peer median FY2021: $1,371Peer median FY2022: $1,510Peer median FY2023: $1,551Colorado median FY2016: $705 (all 224 municipalities reporting)Colorado median FY2021: $1,072 (all 227 municipalities reporting)FY2016: $1,413FY2017: $1,644FY2018: $1,745FY2019: $1,560FY2020: $1,477FY2021: $1,913FY2022: $1,911FY2023: $1,867

Fiscal year · nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation

Peer group changed in FY2017, FY2018, FY2020, FY2021, FY2023. Peers are matched each year, so the peer median can step when the group changes.

Show data table
Tax revenue per resident by fiscal year
YearThis cityPeer medianColorado median
FY2016$1,413$991$705 (193 reporting)
FY2017$1,644$1,025$1,098 (34 reporting, sample year)
FY2018$1,745$1,117$1,173 (70 reporting, sample year)
FY2019$1,560$1,047$1,187 (71 reporting, sample year)
FY2020$1,477$1,190$1,238 (72 reporting, sample year)
FY2021$1,913$1,371$1,072 (201 reporting)
FY2022$1,911$1,510$1,631 (71 reporting, sample year)
FY2023$1,867$1,551$1,726 (90 reporting, sample year)
Debt per resident
FY2016 $5,874 to FY2023 $4,117.$0$2.9K$5.9K’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23Peer median FY2016: $1,551Peer median FY2017: $1,949Peer median FY2018: $1,861Peer median FY2019: $1,181Peer median FY2020: $1,282Peer median FY2021: $1,124Peer median FY2022: $968Peer median FY2023: $846Colorado median FY2016: $1,072 (all 224 municipalities reporting)Colorado median FY2021: $1,411 (all 227 municipalities reporting)FY2016: $5,874FY2017: $5,861FY2018: $5,477FY2019: $4,692FY2020: $4,213FY2021: $4,203FY2022: $4,590FY2023: $4,117

Fiscal year · nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation

Peer group changed in FY2017, FY2018, FY2019, FY2020, FY2021, FY2023. Peers are matched each year, so the peer median can step when the group changes.

Show data table
Debt per resident by fiscal year
YearThis cityPeer medianColorado median
FY2016$5,874$1,551$1,072 (220 reporting)
FY2017$5,861$1,949$1,482 (34 reporting, sample year)
FY2018$5,477$1,861$1,644 (70 reporting, sample year)
FY2019$4,692$1,181$1,627 (69 reporting, sample year)
FY2020$4,213$1,282$1,798 (71 reporting, sample year)
FY2021$4,203$1,124$1,411 (199 reporting)
FY2022$4,590$968$2,068 (73 reporting, sample year)
FY2023$4,117$846$2,130 (91 reporting, sample year)

Questions about Commerce City’s finances

How much revenue does Commerce City collect per resident?
Commerce City collected $1,905 per resident in FY2016, 9% above the median of the 224 Colorado municipalities reporting that year. See the figure
How does Commerce City's spending per resident compare with similar cities?
Commerce City spent $1,925 per resident in FY2016, 6% above the median of its peers: Littleton, Parker, Broomfield, Castle Rock and Brighton. See the figure
How much debt does Commerce City have per resident?
Commerce City carried $5,874 of debt per resident in FY2016, 3.8× its peers' median. See the figure
Which cities is Commerce City compared with?
Commerce City is compared with Littleton, Parker, Broomfield, Castle Rock and Brighton: the Colorado municipalities nearest to it on population, median household income and region. Budget size isn't used, so peers aren't chosen on the figures being compared. See the peer table
Where do these numbers come from?
From the U.S. Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, as each government reported its own fiscal year, divided by Census population estimates. Figures that fail quality checks are withheld rather than shown. Sources and methodology

Community context

American Community Survey 5-year estimates and Census population estimates. Where the selected year isn’t available, the nearest earlier year is shown and labeled.

Population growth (5-yr)
+2.6%/yr
2016 estimate
Median household income
Not reported for this year
Poverty rate
Not reported for this year
Median home value
Not reported for this year
Housing vacancy rate
Not reported for this year

Explore further

Also in Denver Metro

Revenue per resident, latest published year.

Sources

Dataset: Commerce City, CO municipal finance benchmarks

Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab). Please credit “Source: Orivian Municipal Index, orivian.ai/benchmarks”. See the data use terms.

Notes: dollars are nominal (not inflation-adjusted). Colorado medians cover the municipalities reporting that year. Peers: nearest on population, income and region. Definitions: orivian.ai/benchmarks/methodology.Retrieved October 12, 2026 from orivian.ai/benchmarks.

Every figure on this page is read from the published index; nothing is recalculated for display. Read the methodology

General government is Commerce City’s largest difference from its peers (98% above the peer median in FY2016). See how that line moves month to month in your own budget-vs-actual.

Orivian applies the same sourced, governed approach to your city's own budget-vs-actual data.

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