Colorado property tax by county

Property tax rate by county in Colorado

Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103 and B25077.

Why county rates vary so much

Property tax is set locally, not by the state, so the rate depends on the county, city, school district, and special districts where a home sits, and on how those local budgets compare to local home values. A county with low home values can still have a high effective rate if its local budgets are large, and a wealthy county can have a low effective rate. The effective rate shown here is the median tax bill divided by the median home value, which is the standard way to compare places; your own bill depends on your assessment and any exemptions.

For Colorado's income and retirement taxes, see Colorado income tax and Colorado retirement taxes.

How does Colorado assess homes for property tax?

Colorado assesses homes at 6.8% of market value, the same in every county. Colorado now applies two different residential rates to the same market value. For local government levies the rate is 6.80%, applied after subtracting 10% of the first $700,000 of value, a reduction capped at $70,000. For school district levies the rate is 7.05% with no reduction at all. Your bill is the sum of the two. Commercial property is assessed at 25% to 26%.

Real property is revalued every odd-numbered year, with even years carrying the same base values forward. Notices of Valuation go out by May 1.

Is there a homestead exemption in Colorado?

Colorado has no general homestead exemption. Be careful with the term: Colorado's better-known homestead law protects home equity from creditors and does nothing to your tax bill. The closest thing to broad relief is built into the rate itself, the 10% reduction on the first $700,000 of value that applies to the local government portion, and it applies to all residential property whether or not the owner lives there.

Other state relief for homeowners:

• Seniors and disabled owners: The Senior Property Tax Exemption removes 50% of the first $200,000 of your home's value, so up to $100,000 comes off the taxable base. You must be 65 by January 1 and have both owned and lived in the home for at least ten consecutive years. There is no income limit. Apply between January 1 and July 15. One caveat worth knowing: the exemption is funded only when the state budget allows and has been suspended in past years. Colorado has no general exemption for non-veteran owners with disabilities.
• Disabled veterans: Veterans with a disability and Gold Star spouses get the same structure as the senior exemption: 50% of the first $200,000 of value, with no age requirement. You need a VA rating of 100% permanent or individual unemployability status. Gold Star spouses qualify where the service member died in the line of duty or from a service-related cause. Apply to the county assessor by July 1.
• There is no owner-occupancy credit. TABOR, the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, shapes property tax indirectly by requiring voter approval for rate increases and constraining revenue growth, though many districts have voted to keep revenue above the limit. TABOR refunds come through the income tax, not your property tax bill. A deferral program lets owners 65 and older postpone the tax as a state loan against the home.

Colorado sets these rules and each county's property tax office applies them, which is where the application, the filing deadline and the form come from. Some counties add programs of their own; where we have checked a county, its page lists them.

When are property taxes due in Colorado?

Bills cover the preceding year and are mailed soon after January 1. If your tax is over $25 you can pay in full by April 30 or in two halves due the last day of February and June 15. Bills of $25 or less must be paid in full by April 30.

Colorado splits the bill into 2 installments. That is the state rule. Each county issues and collects its own bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.

How do you appeal a property assessment in Colorado?

You contest the assessed value with the County assessor, then the County Board of Equalization, then the Board of Assessment Appeals, district court, or binding arbitration. The filing deadline is typically June 8. Protest to the county assessor by June 8, the date that matters most. The assessor answers by the last working day in June, then you have until July 15 to appeal to the County Board of Equalization, and 30 days after its decision to choose between the Board of Assessment Appeals, district court, or binding arbitration. Note that the later hearings are heard fresh and can set a value higher than the county's. Large counties use a later calendar in reassessment years, so confirm yours.

Colorado property-tax rules from primary state sources (revenue department and statute), reviewed September 7, 2026. Exemption amounts and credits change; confirm the current figures with your county assessor. Sources: assessment, exemptions, due dates, appeals.