Fraser · FY2021 municipal finance benchmarks

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

Grand County · Central Mountains & Resort · statutory town · Pop. 1,543 (2025 estimate); FY2021 per-resident figures use 1,410 · Census finance data FY2016, FY2021

Latest Census Bureau finance data for Fraser: 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

Fraser collected $7,865 per resident (including city-run utilities), 3.2× the median of the 227 Colorado municipalities reporting that year, 99% above its peers. Tax revenue per resident sits 2.0× its peers, and 4.6× the state median. Debt per resident runs 99% below peers.

Regional hub: sales tax per resident is 5.0× the Colorado 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)

$7,865

99% above peers

Includes city-owned utilities

Peer median: $3,956
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 93% of the 227 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars: +18.2%/yr

How Colorado compares on revenue per resident

Expenditures per resident (definition)

$4,813

39% above peers

Includes city-owned utilities

Peer median: $3,451
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 86% of the 220 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars: +10.2%/yr

Tax revenue per resident (definition)

$4,929

2.0× peers

Peer median: $2,457
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 96% of the 201 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars: +19.1%/yr

Debt per resident (definition)

$72

99% below peers

Peer median: $6,912
CO median · 199 with a published figure Median of the 199 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.: $1,411
Position: Higher than 2% of the 199 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars: −50.0%/yr

How Colorado compares on debt per resident

How this number was calculated

Revenue per resident · $7,865

Reported by the city to the Census Bureau

1Metric
$7,865 Total revenue divided by population
= Total revenue ÷ population
Full definition: Revenue per resident
2Inputs
Total revenue $11.1M ÷ population 1,410 (2021 estimate)
3Census line items
- A80 Sewer charges
- A81 Solid waste charges
- A89 General government (other) charges
- A91 Water utility charges
- B89 Federal aid
- C89 State aid
- T01 Property tax
- T09 General sales tax
- T15 Selective sales taxes (lodging, utilities, etc.)
- T28 Licenses & permits
- T29 Licenses & permits
- U11 Sale of property
- U20 Interest earnings
- U40 Rents
- 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

Fraser runs city-owned utilities, which add 16.2% 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 1,410 residents, small changes in Fraser's budget move per-resident figures a lot. Compare several years, not one.
Fraser 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 Fraser; the gold tick is the peer median. How categories work

Regional hub: sales tax per resident is 5.0× 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: $1,901 per resident, 3.1× the peer median. On the revenue side, sales tax is 97% above peers.

Money in

Revenue

$7,865

per resident99% above peers

Money in: Fraser 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
	$4,342	$2,201	97% above peerspeers $2,201	55%

General sales tax $4,342 · peers $2,201 General sales and use tax. Census line items T09 General sales tax
	$1,408	$558	2.5× peerspeers $558	18%

Sewer charges $1,205 · peers $362 General government (other) charges $126 · peers $59 Solid waste charges $77 · peers $177 Charges for services such as sewer, trash, recreation, parking and airports. Census line items A80 Sewer charges A81 Solid waste charges A89 General government (other) charges
	$1,274	$714	78% above peerspeers $714	16%

Water utility charges $1,274 · peers $714 Revenue of city-owned water, electric, gas and transit systems. Census line items A91 Water utility charges
	$318	$156	2.0× peerspeers $156	4%

Licenses & permits $234 · peers $92 Selective sales taxes (lodging, utilities, etc.) $84 · peers $38 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
	$270	$107	2.5× peerspeers $107	3%

Property tax $270 · peers $107 Property tax levied by the municipality. Census line items T01 Property tax
	$214	$176	22% above peerspeers $176	3%

Federal aid $147 · peers $0 State aid $67 · peers $171 Grants and shared revenue from federal, state and local governments. Census line items B89 Federal aid C89 State aid
	$40	$99	60% below peerspeers $99	1%

Miscellaneous $23 · peers $52 Sale of property $6 · peers $0 Interest earnings $5 · peers $6 Rents $5 · peers $0 Interest earnings, fines, rents, special assessments, donations and sales of property. Census line items U11 Sale of property U20 Interest earnings U40 Rents U99 Miscellaneous

Peer median of 3 peers · Colorado median of 227 reporting

Money out

Spending

$4,813

per resident39% above peers

Money out: Fraser 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
	$1,901	$607	3.1× peerspeers $607	39%

Central staff services $931 · peers $513 General government (other) $750 · peers $0 Financial administration $211 · peers $37 General public buildings $9 · peers $0 Administration, finance, legal and courts, public buildings and other general government. Census line items E23 Financial administration E29 Central staff services E31 General public buildings M89 General government (other)
	$1,327	$1,297	in line with peerspeers $1,297	28%

Water utility $639 · peers $403 Sewer $632 · peers $678 Solid waste $56 · peers $162 Water, sewer, solid waste, electric and gas utilities, and natural resources. Census line items E80 Sewer E81 Solid waste E91 Water utility
	$1,311	$386	3.4× peerspeers $386	27%

Streets & highways $1,311 · peers $386 Streets and highways, transit, parking and airports. Census line items E44 Streets & highways
	$231	$92	2.5× peerspeers $92	5%

Parks & recreation $231 · peers $92 incl. $52 construction incl. $52 construction Parks and recreation, libraries, housing and community development. Census line items E61 Parks & recreation F61 Parks & recreation
	$6	$111	94% below peerspeers $111	<1%

Interest on debt $6 · peers $111 Interest paid on the municipality's debt. Census line items I89 Interest on debt
	Withheld Fraser · Public safety · FY2021 Reason: Police spending per resident is 6% of the peer median We don't publish figures that fail our quality checks until they're verified against the city's audited financial report.	$660	Withheldpeers $660	Withheld

Police Withheld Fraser · Police · FY2021 Reason: Police spending per resident is 6% of 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 $660 Police, fire protection, inspection and corrections. Census line items F62 Police

Peer median of 3 peers · Colorado median of 220 reporting

Fraser 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

Fraser compared with its peer municipalities, FY2021, per resident
Municipality	Revenue	Expenditures	Tax revenue	Sales tax	Debt
FraserUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 16.2% 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 5.0× the Colorado median.	$7,865	$4,813	$4,929	$4,342	$72
Crested ButteUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 4.0% 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.Regional hub: Sales tax per resident is 5.0× the Colorado median.	$10,983	$9,068	$8,453	$4,261	$2,968
Idaho SpringsUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 30.3% 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.Regional hub: Sales tax per resident is 2.5× the Colorado median.	$3,956	$3,451	$2,457	$2,201	$10,855
PaoniaUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 29.2% 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.	$2,448	$1,774	$901	$726	$2,642
Peer median	$3,956	$3,451	$2,457	$3,231	$6,912

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

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

Show data table

Revenue per resident by fiscal year
Year	This city	Peer median	Colorado median
FY2016	$3,408	$7,059	$1,746 (224 reporting)
FY2021	$7,865	$3,956	$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	$2,965	$6,915	$1,749 (196 reporting)
FY2021	$4,813	$3,451	$2,208 (220 reporting)

Tax revenue per resident

Fiscal year · nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation

Show data table

Tax revenue per resident by fiscal year
Year	This city	Peer median	Colorado median
FY2016	$2,056	Benchmark unavailable	$705 (193 reporting)
FY2021	$4,929	$2,457	$1,072 (201 reporting)

Debt 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

Debt per resident by fiscal year
Year	This city	Peer median	Colorado median
FY2016	$2,297	$4,659	$1,072 (220 reporting)
FY2021	$72	$6,912	$1,411 (199 reporting)

Questions about Fraser’s finances

How much revenue does Fraser collect per resident?: Fraser collected $7,865 per resident in FY2021, 3.2× the median of the 227 Colorado municipalities reporting that year. See the figure
How does Fraser's spending per resident compare with similar cities?: Fraser spent $4,813 per resident in FY2021, 39% above the median of its peers: Crested Butte, Idaho Springs and Paonia. See the figure
How much debt does Fraser have per resident?: Fraser carried $72 of debt per resident in FY2021, 99% below its peers' median. See the figure
Which cities is Fraser compared with?: Fraser is compared with Crested Butte, Idaho Springs and Paonia: 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): +2.3%/yr; 2021 estimate
Median household income: $57.9K; 2021 estimate
Poverty rate: 17.5%; 2021 estimate
Median home value: $468.6K; 2021 estimate
Housing vacancy rate: 62.0%; 2021 estimate

Explore further

Also in Central Mountains & Resort

Kremmling$1,390 · FY2016
Crested Butte$14,925 · FY2023
Poncha Springs$2,456 · FY2021
Idaho Springs$3,956 · FY2021
Mountain Village$33,136 · FY2023
Georgetown$4,210 · FY2021
Winter Park$26,089 · FY2023
Dillon$22,632 · FY2022

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: Fraser, 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 Fraser’s largest difference from its peers (3.1× 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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Fraser · 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

Fraser and its peers

Trends

Questions about Fraser’s finances

Community context

Explore further

Also in Central Mountains & Resort

Sources

General government is Fraser’s largest difference from its peers (3.1× the peer median in FY2021). See how that line moves month to month in your own budget-vs-actual.