Empire · FY2021 municipal finance benchmarks

Name: Empire, CO municipal finance benchmarks
Creator: Orivian
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Clear Creek County · Central Mountains & Resort · statutory town · Pop. 317 (2025 estimate); FY2021 per-resident figures use 339 · Census finance data FY2016, FY2021

Latest Census Bureau finance data for Empire: FY2021. Retrieved Oct 2026. Newer years are added when the Census Bureau publishes them. Why the lag?

City website (opens in a new tab)

Fiscal yearCompare

FY2021 in brief

Empire collected $3,292 per resident (including city-run utilities), 33% above the median of the 227 Colorado municipalities reporting that year, 11% above its peers. Tax revenue per resident sits in line with its peers, but 16% above the state median.

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

Compared with

Nearest on population, household income and region

Revenue per resident (definition)

$3,292

11% above peers

Includes city-owned utilities

Peer median: $2,972
CO median · 227 with a published figure Median of the 227 Colorado municipalities with FY2021 Census finance data. In FY2016 and FY2021 the Census covers every municipality; in other years it surveys a sample, mostly larger cities.: $2,476
Position: Higher than 70% of the 227 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars: Not enough history for a 5-year change

How Colorado compares on revenue per resident

Expenditures per resident (definition)

$2,484

51% above peers

Includes city-owned utilities

Peer median: $1,640
CO median · 220 with a published figure Median of the 220 Colorado municipalities with FY2021 Census finance data. In FY2016 and FY2021 the Census covers every municipality; in other years it surveys a sample, mostly larger cities.: $2,208
Position: Higher than 60% of the 220 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars: +19.2%/yr

Tax revenue per resident (definition)

$1,245

in line with peers

Peer median: $1,189
CO median · 201 with a published figure Median of the 201 Colorado municipalities with FY2021 Census finance data. In FY2016 and FY2021 the Census covers every municipality; in other years it surveys a sample, mostly larger cities.: $1,072
Position: Higher than 58% of the 201 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars: +26.1%/yr

Debt per resident (definition)

Peer median: Not reported for this year
CO median: Not reported for this year
Position: Not reported for this year
5-year change: Not reported for this year

How Colorado compares on debt per resident

How this number was calculated

Revenue per resident · $3,292

Reported by the city to the Census Bureau

1Metric
$3,292 Total revenue divided by population
= Total revenue ÷ population
Full definition: Revenue per resident
2Inputs
Total revenue $1.1M ÷ population 339 (2021 estimate)
3Census line items
- A03 Commercial activities (other) charges
- A80 Sewer charges
- A89 General government (other) charges
- A91 Water utility charges
- B89 Federal aid
- C89 State aid
- D89 Local government aid
- T01 Property tax
- T09 General sales tax
- T15 Selective sales taxes (lodging, utilities, etc.)
- T28 Licenses & permits
- T29 Licenses & permits
- U01 Special assessments
- U11 Sale of property
- U30 Fines & forfeits
- U40 Rents
- U50 Private donations
- U99 Miscellaneous
4Source file
- Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances 2022 - Individual Unit File
  Value for
  FY2021
  Survey file
  2022
  The 2022 Census survey covers fiscal years ending July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022, so a fiscal year ending December 31, 2021 is FY2021.
  Retrieved October 12, 2026 · View source: Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances 2022 - Individual Unit File (opens in a new tab)
- Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 - incorporated places
  Value for
  FY2021
  Source year
  2025
  Retrieved October 7, 2026 · View source: Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 - incorporated places (opens in a new tab)

What the numbers mean

Empire runs city-owned utilities, which add 32.2% 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 339 residents, small changes in Empire's budget move per-resident figures a lot. Compare several years, not one.
Empire relies on sales tax more than most Colorado municipalities. Tourism and regional retail can raise sales tax per resident because non-residents pay it.

Where the money comes from and where it goes

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

The biggest difference from peers is Utilities & environment: $1,124 per resident, 50% above the peer median. On the revenue side, fees & charges is 2.1× peers.

Money in

Revenue

$3,292

per resident11% above peers

Money in: Empire revenue per resident by category, FY2021, against the peer median. Open a category for its lines and Census item codes.
Category	Per resident	Peer median	vs peers	Share of revenue
	$1,062	$752	41% above peerspeers $752	32%

General sales tax $1,062 · peers $752 General sales and use tax. Census line items T09 General sales tax
	$1,059	$708	50% above peerspeers $708	32%

Water utility charges $1,059 · peers $708 Revenue of city-owned water, electric, gas and transit systems. Census line items A91 Water utility charges
	$796	$380	2.1× peerspeers $380	24%

Sewer charges $655 · peers $375 General government (other) charges $139 · peers $0 Commercial activities (other) charges $3 · peers $0 Charges for services such as sewer, trash, recreation, parking and airports. Census line items A03 Commercial activities (other) charges A80 Sewer charges A89 General government (other) charges
	$97	$361	73% below peerspeers $361	3%

Property tax $97 · peers $361 Property tax levied by the municipality. Census line items T01 Property tax
	$97	$235	59% below peerspeers $235	3%

Local government aid $53 · peers $8 State aid $32 · peers $196 Federal aid $12 · peers $0 Grants and shared revenue from federal, state and local governments. Census line items B89 Federal aid C89 State aid D89 Local government aid
	$94	$5	18.7× peerspeers $5	3%

Miscellaneous $35 · peers $0 Sale of property $32 · peers $0 Fines & forfeits $15 · peers $0 Rents $6 · peers $0 Private donations $3 · peers $0 Special assessments $3 · peers $0 Interest earnings, fines, rents, special assessments, donations and sales of property. Census line items U01 Special assessments U11 Sale of property U30 Fines & forfeits U40 Rents U50 Private donations U99 Miscellaneous
	$86	$58	48% above peerspeers $58	3%

Licenses & permits $44 · peers $19 Selective sales taxes (lodging, utilities, etc.) $41 · peers $0 Lodging, utility, tobacco and other selective sales taxes, licenses and permits, and other taxes. Census line items T15 Selective sales taxes (lodging, utilities, etc.) T28 Licenses & permits T29 Licenses & permits

Peer median of 5 peers · Colorado median of 227 reporting

Money out

Spending

$2,484

per resident51% above peers

Money out: Empire spending per resident by category, FY2021, against the peer median. Open a category for its lines and Census item codes.
Category	Per resident	Peer median	vs peers	Share of spending
	$1,124	$748	50% above peerspeers $748	45%

Water utility $853 · peers $378 Sewer $271 · peers $60 Water, sewer, solid waste, electric and gas utilities, and natural resources. Census line items E80 Sewer E91 Water utility
	$572	$564	in line with peerspeers $564	23%

Central staff services $507 · peers $308 General public buildings $65 · peers $33 Administration, finance, legal and courts, public buildings and other general government. Census line items E29 Central staff services E31 General public buildings
	$109	$134	18% below peerspeers $134	4%

Streets & highways $109 · peers $134 incl. $30 construction incl. $30 construction Streets and highways, transit, parking and airports. Census line items E44 Streets & highways F44 Streets & highways
	$18	$29	40% below peerspeers $29	1%

Parks & recreation $18 · peers $29 Parks and recreation, libraries, housing and community development. Census line items E61 Parks & recreation
	$6	$0	No peer comparisonpeers $0	<1%

Commercial activities (other) $6 · peers $0 Commercial activities and functions outside the categories above. Census line items E03 Commercial activities (other)
None reported · peers $35	$0	$35	None reported	0%

Empire reported nothing in this category for FY2021. Interest paid on the municipality's debt.
	Withheld Empire · Public safety · FY2021 Reason: Police spending per resident is 5.0x the peer median We don't publish figures that fail our quality checks until they're verified against the city's audited financial report.	$177	Withheldpeers $177	Withheld

Fire protection $50 · peers $0 Police Withheld Empire · Police · FY2021 Reason: Police spending per resident is 5.0x the peer median We don't publish figures that fail our quality checks until they're verified against the city's audited financial report. · peers $177 Police, fire protection, inspection and corrections. Census line items E24 Fire protection E62 Police F62 Police

Peer median of 5 peers · Colorado median of 220 reporting

Empire 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

Empire compared with its peer municipalities, FY2021, per resident
Municipality	Revenue	Expenditures	Tax revenue	Sales tax	Debt
EmpireUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 32.2% 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.	$3,292	$2,484	$1,245	$1,062	Not reported for this year
YampaUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 36.6% 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.	$1,935	$1,640	$652	$418	$1,126
AlmaUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 15.2% 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 1.7× the Colorado median.	$2,983	$2,445	$1,809	$1,431	$294
Lake CityUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 18.1% 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 1.8× the Colorado median.	$4,270	$1,326	$1,807	$1,576	$1,970
Red CliffUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 42.6% 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.	$2,972	$3,303	$1,189	$398	$516
RicoUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 24.2% 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.	$1,918	$1,402	$1,160	$752	Not reported for this year
Peer median	$2,972	$1,640	$1,189	$752	Not reported for this year

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

Fiscal year · nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation

FY2016 withheld: Revenue per resident is 15% of the peer median

Show data table

Revenue per resident by fiscal year
Year	This city	Peer median	Colorado median
FY2016	Withheld (Revenue per resident is 15% of the peer median)	Benchmark unavailable	$1,746 (224 reporting)
FY2021	$3,292	$2,972	$2,476 (227 reporting)

Expenditures per resident

Fiscal year · nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation

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

Show data table

Expenditures per resident by fiscal year
Year	This city	Peer median	Colorado median
FY2016	$1,031	$1,078	$1,749 (196 reporting)
FY2021	$2,484	$1,640	$2,208 (220 reporting)

Tax revenue per resident

Fiscal year · nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation

Peer group changed in FY2021. 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
Year	This city	Peer median	Colorado median
FY2016	$390	$581	$705 (193 reporting)
FY2021	$1,245	$1,189	$1,072 (201 reporting)

Debt per resident

Fiscal year · nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation

Show data table

Debt per resident by fiscal year
Year	This city	Peer median	Colorado median
FY2016	$1,258	$2,733	$1,072 (220 reporting)
FY2021	—	—	—

Questions about Empire’s finances

How much revenue does Empire collect per resident?: Empire collected $3,292 per resident in FY2021, 33% above the median of the 227 Colorado municipalities reporting that year. See the figure
How does Empire's spending per resident compare with similar cities?: Empire spent $2,484 per resident in FY2021, 51% above the median of its peers: Yampa, Alma, Lake City, Red Cliff and Rico. See the figure
Which cities is Empire compared with?: Empire is compared with Yampa, Alma, Lake City, Red Cliff and Rico: 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): +2.8%/yr; 2021 estimate
Median household income: $56.3K; 2021 estimate
Poverty rate: 11.0%; 2021 estimate
Median home value: $244.3K; 2021 estimate
Housing vacancy rate: 12.5%; 2021 estimate

Explore further

Also in Central Mountains & Resort

Alma$2,983 · FY2021
Yampa$1,935 · FY2021
Red Cliff$2,972 · FY2021
Grand Lake$13,561 · FY2023
Lake City$4,270 · FY2021
Ophir$3,282 · FY2021
Silver Plume$2,874 · FY2021
Marble$2,341 · FY2021

Revenue per resident, latest published year.

Sources

American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2017-2021 · 2021
U.S. Census Bureau
Retrieved October 7, 2026View source: American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2017-2021 (opens in a new tab)
Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances 2022 - Individual Unit File · 2022 survey file
U.S. Census Bureau
Retrieved October 12, 2026View source: Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances 2022 - Individual Unit File (opens in a new tab)
Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 - incorporated places · 2025
U.S. Census Bureau
Retrieved October 7, 2026View source: Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 - incorporated places (opens in a new tab)

Dataset: Empire, 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 Empire’s largest difference from its peers (50% above 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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Empire · FY2021 municipal finance benchmarks

FY2021 in brief

FY2021 headline figures

Revenue per resident (definition)

Expenditures per resident (definition)

Tax revenue per resident (definition)

Debt per resident (definition)

How this number was calculated

What the numbers mean

Where the money comes from and where it goes

Money in

Money out

Empire and its peers

Trends

Questions about Empire’s finances

Community context

Explore further

Also in Central Mountains & Resort

Sources

Utilities & environment is Empire’s largest difference from its peers (50% above the peer median in FY2021). See how that line moves month to month in your own budget-vs-actual.