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Commerce City · FY2021 municipal finance benchmarks

Adams County · Denver Metro · home rule municipality · Pop. 72,345 (2025 estimate); FY2021 per-resident figures use 64,372 · Census finance data FY2016–FY2023

You’re viewing FY2021. 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

FY2021 in brief

Commerce City collected $2,433 per resident, in line with the median of the 227 Colorado municipalities reporting that year. Tax revenue per resident sits 40% above its peers, and 78% above the state median. Debt per resident runs 3.7× peers.

Regional hub: sales tax per resident is 1.8× the Colorado median.

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

Compared with

Nearest on population, household income and region

FY2021 headline figures

Revenue per resident (definition)

$2,433
in line with peers
Peer median
$2,554
CO median · 227 with a published figure
$2,476
Position
Higher than 48% of the 227 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars
+5.0%/yr
How Colorado compares on revenue per resident

Expenditures per resident (definition)

$1,998
32% below peers
Peer median
$2,939
CO median · 220 with a published figure
$2,208
Position
Higher than 46% of the 220 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars
+0.8%/yr

Tax revenue per resident (definition)

$1,913
40% above peers
Peer median
$1,371
CO median · 201 with a published figure
$1,072
Position
Higher than 80% of the 201 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars
+6.2%/yr

Debt per resident (definition)

$4,203
3.7× peers
Peer median
$1,124
CO median · 199 with a published figure
$1,411
Position
Higher than 87% of the 199 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars
−6.5%/yr
How Colorado compares on debt per resident

How this number was calculated

Revenue per resident · $2,433
Reported by the city to the Census Bureau

  1. 1Metric

    $2,433 Total revenue divided by population

    = Total revenue ÷ population

    Full definition: Revenue per resident

  2. 2Inputs

    Total revenue $156.6M ÷ population 64,372 (2021 estimate)

  3. 3Census line items

    • A61 Parks & recreation charges
    • A81 Solid waste charges
    • A89 General government (other) charges
    • B89 Federal aid
    • C89 State aid
    • D89 Local government aid
    • T01 Property tax
    • T09 General sales tax
    • T20 Licenses & permits
    • T24 Licenses & permits
    • T28 Licenses & permits
    • T29 Licenses & permits
    • T99 Other taxes
    • U01 Special assessments
    • U11 Sale of property
    • U20 Interest earnings
    • U30 Fines & forfeits
    • U50 Private donations
    • U99 Miscellaneous

  4. 4Source file

What the numbers mean

  • Debt per resident is 3.7× 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, FY2021. Bars show Commerce City; the gold tick is the peer median. How categories work

Regional hub: sales tax per resident is 1.8× 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 Utilities & environment: $52 per resident, 96% below the peer median. On the revenue side, sales tax is 76% above peers.

Money in

Revenue

$2,433
per residentin line with peers
Money in: Commerce City revenue per resident by category, FY2021, against the peer median. Open a category for its lines and Census item codes.
CategoryPer residentvs peers
$1,54576% abovepeers $878
$28337% belowpeers $449
$202in line withpeers $203
$16624% abovepeers $134
$13728% belowpeers $189
$10028% belowpeers $140
None reported · peers $269$0None reported
Peer median of 5 peers · Colorado median of 227 reporting

Money out

Spending

$1,998
per resident32% below peers
Money out: Commerce City spending per resident by category, FY2021, against the peer median. Open a category for its lines and Census item codes.
CategoryPer residentvs peers
$65068% abovepeers $387
$39790% abovepeers $209
$37914% belowpeers $440
$33429% abovepeers $258
$1864.2×peers $44
$5296% belowpeers $1,338
None reported · peers $6$0None reported
Peer median of 5 peers · Colorado median of 220 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, FY2021. How peers are chosen

Open in Compare
Commerce City compared with its peer municipalities, FY2021, per resident
MunicipalityRevenueExpendituresTax revenueSales taxDebt
Commerce CityRegional hub: Sales tax per resident is 1.8× the Colorado median.$2,433$1,998$1,913$1,545$4,203
Parker$1,983$1,507$1,419$1,038$1,010
BroomfieldUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 6.5% of total revenue in FY2021. Revenue and spending per resident include them, so cities that run their own utilities read higher than cities that don't.$4,149$5,477$2,231$1,130$5,201
Littleton$1,859$1,622$1,215$878$234
Castle RockUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 23.1% of total revenue in FY2021. Revenue and spending per resident include them, so cities that run their own utilities read higher than cities that don't.$2,554$2,939$1,015$873$1,124
LongmontUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 37.1% of total revenue in FY2021. Revenue and spending per resident include them, so cities that run their own utilities read higher than cities that don't.$3,522$3,114$1,371$436$3,136
Peer median$2,554$2,939$1,371$878$1,124

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 $2,433 per resident in FY2021, in line with the median of the 227 Colorado municipalities reporting that year. See the figure
How does Commerce City's spending per resident compare with similar cities?
Commerce City spent $1,998 per resident in FY2021, 32% below the median of its peers: Parker, Broomfield, Littleton, Castle Rock and Longmont. See the figure
How much debt does Commerce City have per resident?
Commerce City carried $4,203 of debt per resident in FY2021, 3.7× its peers' median. See the figure
Which cities is Commerce City compared with?
Commerce City is compared with Parker, Broomfield, Littleton, Castle Rock and Longmont: 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)
+3.9%/yr
2021 estimate
Median household income
$87.4K
2021 estimate
Poverty rate
9.8%
2021 estimate
Median home value
$364.6K
2021 estimate
Housing vacancy rate
3.4%
2021 estimate

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

Utilities & environment is Commerce City’s largest difference from its peers (96% below the peer median in FY2021). 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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