Orivian

Elizabeth · FY2021 municipal finance benchmarks

Elbert County · Eastern Plains · statutory town · Pop. 2,957 (2025 estimate); FY2021 per-resident figures use 2,003 · Census finance data FY2016, FY2018, FY2019, FY2020, FY2021, FY2022

You’re viewing FY2021. See the latest view (FY2022). Latest Census Bureau finance data for Elizabeth: FY2022. 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

Elizabeth collected $5,044 per resident (including city-run utilities), 2.0× the median of the 227 Colorado municipalities reporting that year, 92% above its peers. Tax revenue per resident sits 3.3× its peers, and 2.6× the state median. Debt per resident runs 46% below peers.

Regional hub: sales tax per resident is 2.5× 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)

$5,044
92% above peers
Includes city-owned utilities
Peer median
$2,631
CO median · 227 with a published figure
$2,476
Position
Higher than 85% of the 227 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars
+12.8%/yr
How Colorado compares on revenue per resident

Expenditures per resident (definition)

$4,153
87% above peers
Includes city-owned utilities
Peer median
$2,216
CO median · 220 with a published figure
$2,208
Position
Higher than 82% of the 220 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars
+5.7%/yr

Tax revenue per resident (definition)

$2,737
3.3× peers
Peer median
$829
CO median · 201 with a published figure
$1,072
Position
Higher than 88% of the 201 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars
+23.1%/yr

Debt per resident (definition)

$1,564
46% below peers
Peer median
$2,890
CO median · 199 with a published figure
$1,411
Position
Higher than 54% of the 199 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars
−1.6%/yr
How Colorado compares on debt per resident

How this number was calculated

Revenue per resident · $5,044
Reported by the city to the Census Bureau

  1. 1Metric

    $5,044 Total revenue divided by population

    = Total revenue ÷ population

    Full definition: Revenue per resident

  2. 2Inputs

    Total revenue $10.1M ÷ population 2,003 (2021 estimate)

  3. 3Census line items

    • A44 Streets & highways charges
    • A89 General government (other) charges
    • A91 Water utility charges
    • C89 State aid
    • T01 Property tax
    • T09 General sales tax
    • T29 Licenses & permits
    • U20 Interest earnings
    • U30 Fines & forfeits
    • U99 Miscellaneous

  4. 4Source file

What the numbers mean

  • Elizabeth runs city-owned utilities, which add 31.1% of its revenue. Cities that don't run utilities will look lower on revenue and spending per resident for that reason alone. What counts as utility revenue
  • With about 2,003 residents, small changes in Elizabeth's budget move per-resident figures a lot. Compare several years, not one.

Where the money comes from and where it goes

Per resident, FY2021. Bars show Elizabeth; the gold tick is the peer median. How categories work

Regional hub: sales tax per resident is 2.5× 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 Transportation: $1,895 per resident, 7.2× the peer median. On the revenue side, sales tax is 4.9× peers.

Money in

Revenue

$5,044
per resident92% above peers
Money in: Elizabeth revenue per resident by category, FY2021, against the peer median. Open a category for its lines and Census item codes.
CategoryPer residentvs peers
$2,1464.9×peers $439
$1,56966% abovepeers $943
$37186% abovepeers $199
$35010% belowpeers $388
$3093.0×peers $103
$2213.6×peers $62
$7881% belowpeers $407
Peer median of 5 peers · Colorado median of 227 reporting

Money out

Spending

$4,153
per resident87% above peers
Money out: Elizabeth spending per resident by category, FY2021, against the peer median. Open a category for its lines and Census item codes.
CategoryPer residentvs peers
$1,8957.2×peers $263
$7292.3×peers $320
$70313% abovepeers $623
$51388% abovepeers $273
$23521% belowpeers $295
$772.0×peers $38
None reported · peers $17$0None reported
Peer median of 5 peers · Colorado median of 220 reporting

Elizabeth 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
Elizabeth compared with its peer municipalities, FY2021, per resident
MunicipalityRevenueExpendituresTax revenueSales taxDebt
ElizabethUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 31.1% 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.Regional hub: Sales tax per resident is 2.5× the Colorado median.$5,044$4,153$2,737$2,146$1,564
WrayUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 41.4% 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.$3,393$3,880$869$631$1,859
WigginsUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 40.0% 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.$2,355$1,411$829$439$5,467
LimonUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 10.1% 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.$3,519$3,113$1,337$1,032$3,922
HolyokeUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 48.0% 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.$2,631$2,200$492$284Not reported for this year
AkronUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 13.3% 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.$1,870$2,216$792$362$936
Peer median$2,631$2,216$829$439$2,890

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 $2,762 to FY2022 $4,481. 1 year withheld.$0$3K$6K’16’18’19’20’21’22Peer median FY2016: $2,440Peer median FY2018: $2,195Peer median FY2020: $2,151Peer median FY2021: $2,631Peer median FY2022: $2,184Colorado median FY2016: $1,746 (all 224 municipalities reporting)Colorado median FY2021: $2,476 (all 227 municipalities reporting)FY2016: $2,762FY2018: $4,531FY2020: $6,025FY2021: $5,044FY2022: $4,481FY2019: withheld — Revenue per resident is 33% of this city's typical level in other years

Fiscal year · nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation

  • FY2019 withheld: Revenue per resident is 33% of this city's typical level in other years

Peer group changed in FY2018, FY2019, FY2020, FY2021, FY2022. 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$2,762$2,440$1,746 (224 reporting)
FY2018$4,531$2,195$2,529 (75 reporting, sample year)
FY2019Withheld (Revenue per resident is 33% of this city's typical level in other years)Benchmark unavailable$2,694 (73 reporting, sample year)
FY2020$6,025$2,151$2,739 (76 reporting, sample year)
FY2021$5,044$2,631$2,476 (227 reporting)
FY2022$4,481$2,184$3,031 (72 reporting, sample year)
Expenditures per resident
FY2016 $3,152 to FY2022 $3,296. 1 year withheld.$0$2.1K$4.2K’16’18’19’20’21’22Peer median FY2016: $2,186Peer median FY2018: $1,378Peer median FY2020: $1,609Peer median FY2021: $2,216Peer median FY2022: $1,811Colorado median FY2016: $1,749 (all 224 municipalities reporting)Colorado median FY2021: $2,208 (all 227 municipalities reporting)FY2016: $3,152FY2018: $2,429FY2020: $3,450FY2021: $4,153FY2022: $3,296. Excludes equipment purchases and payments to other governments, which Census stopped reporting after FY2021.FY2019: withheld — Expenditures per resident is 27% of this city's typical level in other years

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.

  • FY2019 withheld: Expenditures per resident is 27% of this city's typical level in other years

Peer group changed in FY2018, FY2019, FY2020, FY2021, FY2022, the same year as the census definition change. 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$3,152$2,186$1,749 (196 reporting)
FY2018$2,429$1,378$2,387 (74 reporting, sample year)
FY2019Withheld (Expenditures per resident is 27% of this city's typical level in other years)Benchmark unavailable$2,759 (71 reporting, sample year)
FY2020$3,450$1,609$2,485 (74 reporting, sample year)
FY2021$4,153$2,216$2,208 (220 reporting)
FY2022$3,296$1,811$3,025 (71 reporting, sample year)
Tax revenue per resident
FY2016 $970 to FY2022 $2,557. 2 years withheld.$0$1.4K$2.7K’16’18’19’20’21’22Peer median FY2016: $541Peer median FY2018: $505Peer median FY2021: $829Peer median FY2022: $697Colorado median FY2016: $705 (all 224 municipalities reporting)Colorado median FY2021: $1,072 (all 227 municipalities reporting)FY2016: $970FY2018: $2,128FY2021: $2,737FY2022: $2,557FY2019: withheld — Tax revenue per resident is 24% of this city's typical level in other yearsFY2020: withheld — Tax revenue per resident is 6.3x the peer median

Fiscal year · nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation

  • FY2019 withheld: Tax revenue per resident is 24% of this city's typical level in other years
  • FY2020 withheld: Tax revenue per resident is 6.3x the peer median

Peer group changed in FY2018, FY2019, FY2020, FY2021, FY2022. 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$970$541$705 (193 reporting)
FY2018$2,128$505$1,173 (70 reporting, sample year)
FY2019Withheld (Tax revenue per resident is 24% of this city's typical level in other years)Benchmark unavailable$1,187 (71 reporting, sample year)
FY2020Withheld (Tax revenue per resident is 6.3x the peer median)Benchmark unavailable$1,238 (72 reporting, sample year)
FY2021$2,737$829$1,072 (201 reporting)
FY2022$2,557$697$1,631 (71 reporting, sample year)
Debt per resident
FY2016 $1,693 to FY2022 $1,168.$0$2.4K$4.9K’16’18’19’20’21’22Peer median FY2016: $1,173Peer median FY2018: $1,572Peer median FY2019: $1,345Peer median FY2020: $1,164Peer median FY2021: $2,890Peer median FY2022: $972Colorado median FY2016: $1,072 (all 224 municipalities reporting)Colorado median FY2021: $1,411 (all 227 municipalities reporting)FY2016: $1,693FY2018: $4,870FY2019: $4,088FY2020: $3,299FY2021: $1,564FY2022: $1,168

Fiscal year · nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation

Peer group changed in FY2018, FY2019, FY2020, FY2021, FY2022. 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$1,693$1,173$1,072 (220 reporting)
FY2018$4,870$1,572$1,644 (70 reporting, sample year)
FY2019$4,088$1,345$1,627 (69 reporting, sample year)
FY2020$3,299$1,164$1,798 (71 reporting, sample year)
FY2021$1,564$2,890$1,411 (199 reporting)
FY2022$1,168$972$2,068 (73 reporting, sample year)

Questions about Elizabeth’s finances

How much revenue does Elizabeth collect per resident?
Elizabeth collected $5,044 per resident in FY2021, 2.0× the median of the 227 Colorado municipalities reporting that year. See the figure
How does Elizabeth's spending per resident compare with similar cities?
Elizabeth spent $4,153 per resident in FY2021, 87% above the median of its peers: Wray, Wiggins, Limon, Holyoke and Akron. See the figure
How much debt does Elizabeth have per resident?
Elizabeth carried $1,564 of debt per resident in FY2021, 46% below its peers' median. See the figure
Which cities is Elizabeth compared with?
Elizabeth is compared with Wray, Wiggins, Limon, Holyoke and Akron: 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)
+6.1%/yr
2021 estimate
Median household income
$91.3K
2021 estimate
Poverty rate
4.8%
2021 estimate
Median home value
$349K
2021 estimate
Housing vacancy rate
6.1%
2021 estimate

Explore further

Also in Eastern Plains

Revenue per resident, latest published year.

Sources

Dataset: Elizabeth, 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

Transportation is Elizabeth’s largest difference from its peers (7.2× the peer median in FY2021). See how that line moves month to month in your own budget-vs-actual.

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