Idaho Springs · FY2021 municipal finance benchmarks

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

Clear Creek County · Central Mountains & Resort · statutory city · Pop. 1,842 (2025 estimate); FY2021 per-resident figures use 1,790 · Census finance data FY2016, FY2021

Latest Census Bureau finance data for Idaho Springs: 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

Idaho Springs collected $3,956 per resident (including city-run utilities), 60% above the median of the 227 Colorado municipalities reporting that year, 43% below its peers. Tax revenue per resident sits 50% below its peers, but 2.3× the state median. Debt per resident runs 3.7× 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

Revenue per resident (definition)

$3,956

43% below peers

Includes city-owned utilities

Peer median: $6,977
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 77% 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)

$3,451

37% below peers

Includes city-owned utilities

Peer median: $5,449
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 76% of the 220 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars: Not enough history for a 5-year change

Tax revenue per resident (definition)

$2,457

50% below peers

Peer median: $4,929
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 86% of the 201 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars: Not enough history for a 5-year change

Debt per resident (definition)

$10,855

3.7× peers

Peer median: $2,968
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 94% of the 199 reporting
5-year changenominal dollars: +146.9%/yr

How Colorado compares on debt per resident

How this number was calculated

Revenue per resident · $3,956

Reported by the city to the Census Bureau

1Metric
$3,956 Total revenue divided by population
= Total revenue ÷ population
Full definition: Revenue per resident
2Inputs
Total revenue $7.1M ÷ population 1,790 (2021 estimate)
3Census line items
- A03 Commercial activities (other) charges
- A60 Parking 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.)
- T19 Selective sales taxes (lodging, utilities, etc.)
- T20 Licenses & permits
- T28 Licenses & permits
- T29 Licenses & permits
- U20 Interest earnings
- U30 Fines & forfeits
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

Idaho Springs runs city-owned utilities, which add 30.3% 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 1,790 residents, small changes in Idaho Springs's budget move per-resident figures a lot. Compare several years, not one.
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.
Idaho Springs 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 Idaho Springs; 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 General government: $607 per resident, 77% below the peer median. On the revenue side, sales tax is 48% below peers.

Money in

Revenue

$3,956

per resident43% below peers

Money in: Idaho Springs 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
	$2,201	$4,261	48% below peerspeers $4,261	56%

General sales tax $2,201 · peers $4,261 General sales and use tax. Census line items T09 General sales tax
	$1,199	$892	34% above peerspeers $892	30%

Water utility charges $1,199 · peers $892 Revenue of city-owned water, electric, gas and transit systems. Census line items A91 Water utility charges
	$156	$318	51% below peerspeers $318	4%

Licenses & permits $92 · peers $234 Selective sales taxes (lodging, utilities, etc.) $64 · peers $36 Lodging, utility, tobacco and other selective sales taxes, licenses and permits, and other taxes. Census line items T15 Selective sales taxes (lodging, utilities, etc.) T19 Selective sales taxes (lodging, utilities, etc.) T20 Licenses & permits T28 Licenses & permits T29 Licenses & permits
	$131	$219	40% below peerspeers $219	3%

State aid $61 · peers $131 Local government aid $45 · peers $2 Federal aid $24 · peers $3 Grants and shared revenue from federal, state and local governments. Census line items B89 Federal aid C89 State aid D89 Local government aid
	$129	$727	82% below peerspeers $727	3%

Parking charges $63 · peers $0 General government (other) charges $62 · peers $29 Commercial activities (other) charges $4 · peers $0 Charges for services such as sewer, trash, recreation, parking and airports. Census line items A03 Commercial activities (other) charges A60 Parking charges A89 General government (other) charges
	$100	$494	80% below peerspeers $494	3%

Property tax $100 · peers $494 Property tax levied by the municipality. Census line items T01 Property tax
	$40	$158	74% below peerspeers $158	1%

Fines & forfeits $39 · peers $16 Interest earnings $2 · peers $8 Interest earnings, fines, rents, special assessments, donations and sales of property. Census line items U20 Interest earnings U30 Fines & forfeits

Peer median of 4 peers · Colorado median of 227 reporting

Money out

Spending

$3,451

per resident37% below peers

Money out: Idaho Springs 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
	$1,297	$1,327	in line with peerspeers $1,327	38%

Sewer $894 · peers $632 incl. $583 construction Water utility $403 · peers $538 incl. $120 construction incl. $703 construction Water, sewer, solid waste, electric and gas utilities, and natural resources. Census line items E80 Sewer E91 Water utility F80 Sewer F91 Water utility
Peer median unavailable	$808	Peer median unavailable	No peer comparison	23%

Police $712 incl. $2 construction Fire protection $72 · peers $0 Protective inspection & regulation $25 · peers $0 incl. $2 construction Police, fire protection, inspection and corrections. Census line items E24 Fire protection E62 Police E66 Protective inspection & regulation F62 Police
	$607	$2,616	77% below peerspeers $2,616	18%

Central staff services $534 · peers $567 Financial administration $37 · peers $234 Judicial & legal $36 · peers $32 Administration, finance, legal and courts, public buildings and other general government. Census line items E23 Financial administration E25 Judicial & legal E29 Central staff services
	$386	$1,181	67% below peerspeers $1,181	11%

Streets & highways $386 · peers $491 incl. $134 construction incl. $134 construction Streets and highways, transit, parking and airports. Census line items E44 Streets & highways F44 Streets & highways
	$274	$67	4.1× peerspeers $67	8%

Interest on debt $274 · peers $67 Interest paid on the municipality's debt. Census line items I89 Interest on debt I91 Interest on debt
	$76	$484	84% below peerspeers $484	2%

Parks & recreation $76 · peers $231 incl. $1 construction incl. $1 construction Parks and recreation, libraries, housing and community development. Census line items E61 Parks & recreation F61 Parks & recreation
	$2	$0	No peer comparisonpeers $0	<1%

Commercial activities (other) $2 · peers $0 Commercial activities and functions outside the categories above. Census line items E03 Commercial activities (other)

Peer median of 3 peers · Colorado median of 220 reporting

Idaho Springs 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

Idaho Springs compared with its peer municipalities, FY2021, per resident
Municipality	Revenue	Expenditures	Tax revenue	Sales tax	Debt
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
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
GranbyUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 23.9% 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 3.8× the Colorado median.	$6,088	$5,449	$3,967	$3,247	$2,969
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
HaydenUtilities: City-owned utilities (water, electric, gas, transit) brought in 21.4% 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.	$2,383	Withheld Hayden · Expenditures per resident · FY2021 Reason: Expenditures per resident is 10% 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.	Withheld Hayden · Tax revenue per resident · FY2021 Reason: Tax revenue per resident is 27% 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.	Withheld Hayden · Sales tax per resident · FY2021 Reason: Sales tax per resident is 21% 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.	Not reported for this year
Peer median	$6,977	$5,449	$4,929	$4,261	$2,968

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 30% 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 30% of the peer median)	Benchmark unavailable	$1,746 (224 reporting)
FY2021	$3,956	$6,977	$2,476 (227 reporting)

Expenditures per resident

Fiscal year · nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation

FY2016 withheld: Expenditures per resident is 28% of the peer median

Show data table

Expenditures per resident by fiscal year
Year	This city	Peer median	Colorado median
FY2016	Withheld (Expenditures per resident is 28% of the peer median)	Benchmark unavailable	$1,749 (196 reporting)
FY2021	$3,451	$5,449	$2,208 (220 reporting)

Tax revenue per resident

Fiscal year · nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation

FY2016 withheld: Tax revenue per resident is 19% of the peer median

Show data table

Tax revenue per resident by fiscal year
Year	This city	Peer median	Colorado median
FY2016	Withheld (Tax revenue per resident is 19% of the peer median)	Benchmark unavailable	$705 (193 reporting)
FY2021	$2,457	$4,929	$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	$118	$1,117	$1,072 (220 reporting)
FY2021	$10,855	$2,968	$1,411 (199 reporting)

Questions about Idaho Springs’s finances

How much revenue does Idaho Springs collect per resident?: Idaho Springs collected $3,956 per resident in FY2021, 60% above the median of the 227 Colorado municipalities reporting that year. See the figure
How does Idaho Springs's spending per resident compare with similar cities?: Idaho Springs spent $3,451 per resident in FY2021, 37% below the median of its peers: Crested Butte, Granby, Fraser and Hayden. See the figure
How much debt does Idaho Springs have per resident?: Idaho Springs carried $10,855 of debt per resident in FY2021, 3.7× its peers' median. See the figure
Which cities is Idaho Springs compared with?: Idaho Springs is compared with Crested Butte, Granby, Fraser and Hayden: 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): +0.3%/yr; 2021 estimate
Median household income: $63K; 2021 estimate
Poverty rate: 7.8%; 2021 estimate
Median home value: $401.2K; 2021 estimate
Housing vacancy rate: 7.8%; 2021 estimate

Explore further

Also in Central Mountains & Resort

Crested Butte$14,925 · FY2023
Fraser$7,865 · FY2021
Kremmling$1,390 · FY2016
Hayden$2,383 · FY2021
Poncha Springs$2,456 · FY2021
Granby$7,075 · FY2023
Mountain Village$33,136 · FY2023
Telluride$22,046 · FY2023

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: Idaho Springs, 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 Idaho Springs’s largest difference from its peers (77% 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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Idaho Springs · 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

Idaho Springs and its peers

Trends

Questions about Idaho Springs’s finances

Community context

Explore further

Also in Central Mountains & Resort

Sources

General government is Idaho Springs’s largest difference from its peers (77% below the peer median in FY2021). See how that line moves month to month in your own budget-vs-actual.