The average Colorado property tax rate is about 0.5% of a home’s value, which comes to roughly $2,602 a year on the typical Colorado home. That makes Colorado property tax one of the lower burdens in the country. This guide breaks down the Colorado property tax rate, what the typical bill looks like, how your bill is figured, where the money goes, and — most useful of all — how
to check whether you are overpaying and how to pay less.
Colorado Property Tax at a Glance
| Effective tax rate | 0.5% |
| Median annual bill | $2,602 |
| Median home value | $539,400 |
| Rank among states | #43 of 50 highest |
| vs. U.S. average | $1,669 below the U.S. average ($4,271) |
| Reassessed | Real property is reappraised on a two-year cycle, with values reset in each odd-numbered year; the assessment date is January 1 and Notices of Valuation are mailed in the spring of reappraisal years. |
Rate & bill: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-year (effective rate B25090/B25082 – the Tax Foundation method; median bill B25103; value B25077).
| Colorado Property Tax | Figure |
|---|---|
| Effective property tax rate | 0.5% |
| Median annual property tax bill | $2,602 |
| Median home value | $539,400 |
| Rank (highest to lowest) | #43 of 50 states |
| U.S. average bill | $4,271 |
In This Colorado Guide:
What Is the Colorado Property Tax Rate?
The Colorado property tax rate is not one flat number — it is the combined result of your county, city, township, and school-district rates, applied to your home’s assessed value. Across Colorado, homeowners pay about 0.5% of their home’s value on average, or around $2,602 a year on a typical $539,400 home. That puts Colorado near the bottom nationally — ranked #43 of 50 states from highest to lowest. Two
homes worth the same amount can still owe very different bills depending on the town and school district, so treat the statewide figure as a starting point, not your exact bill.
If your bill went up, the calmest first step is to read your Notice of Valuation and check the “actual value” the assessor assigned — that figure, times the state-set assessment rate, times your local mill levy, is what drives the bill. If the actual value looks higher than what your home would truly sell for, many homeowners choose to appeal to the county assessor, and it’s worth confirming whether
you qualify for a senior, veteran, or Gold Star exemption.
See the data box above for any specific rates, dollar figures, and appeal deadlines, or confirm them with your county assessor.
Think your Colorado bill is too high? Check in two minutes.
How Colorado Property Tax Is Calculated
Your Colorado property tax starts with an assessed value set by County assessors — each of Colorado’s 64 counties has an elected county assessor whose office discovers, lists, classifies, and values all property in the county.. The assessor first sets your property’s “actual value” (its market value as of the January 1 assessment date), then applies an assessment rate that is fixed in state law to produce the lower “assessed
value” your tax is figured on.
Look for both the actual value and the assessed value printed on your Notice of Valuation — do not assume the rate; check the figures on your notice. That assessed value is then multiplied by the combined local tax rate to produce your bill. In Colorado, property is generally reassessed Real property is reappraised on a two-year cycle, with values reset in each odd-numbered year; the assessment date is January
1 and Notices of Valuation are mailed in the spring of reappraisal years..
The single most important number to check is your assessed value: if it is higher than what your home would sell for, your bill is too high — and that is exactly what an appeal fixes.
The actual rates in Colorado are set by The rate (the “mill levy”) is set by the local taxing authorities whose boundaries you live in — the county, your city or town, school districts, and special districts (fire, water, library, recreation, and similar) — not by the assessor. Note that the assessment rates themselves are set by the Colorado Legislature.. That is why your neighbor one town over can pay
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a different bill on an identical house.
Where Your Colorado Property Tax Money Goes
Colorado property taxes stay local and mostly fund public schools, along with county government services, municipalities, and special districts such as fire protection, water, libraries, and roads. Very little goes to the state itself. For most Colorado homeowners, the school-district share is the biggest single piece of the bill, which is why property taxes tend to be highest where schools rely most on local funding.
One Colorado note: A few Colorado-specific features: the assessment rate that shrinks market value down to assessed value is set by state law rather than by your county, and starting in 2025 residential property uses two assessment rates (one for local governments and one for school districts). Colorado voters repealed the old Gallagher Amendment in 2020, and the TABOR constitutional provision limits how much revenue governments can keep, which shapes
rates and refunds.
How Colorado Property Tax Compares
The U.S. average property tax bill is about $4,271 a year. The typical Colorado bill of $2,602 is $1,669 below that. Remember that a low rate does not always mean a low bill — a state with cheap rates but expensive homes can still cost you more than Colorado. The dollar bill and your own assessment matter more than the headline rate.
How to Lower Your Colorado Property Tax
You cannot change the Colorado property tax rate, but you have two real levers on your own bill. First, claim every exemption you qualify for. Colorado offers property tax breaks that can lower a qualifying homeowner’s bill — including a senior “homestead” exemption for owner-occupants generally 65 and older who have owned and lived in the home for a set number of years, an exemption for veterans with a qualifying
disability (recently expanded to include individual-unemployability status), and relief for Gold Star spouses.
If you think you might qualify, check with your county assessor and apply — do not assume you’re signed up automatically. Second, appeal your assessment if your home is valued higher than it would sell for — studies suggest a large share of homes are over-assessed, and appeals often succeed.
Don’t want to appeal your Colorado taxes yourself? A property tax appeal service can file everything for you and usually only charges if it wins — typically a share of what it saves you. It is one option; you can also appeal on your own for free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Colorado property tax rate?
The average effective Colorado property tax rate is about 0.5% of a home’s value, based on U.S. Census data. On the typical Colorado home that works out to roughly $2,602 a year. Your own bill depends on your county, city, and school district, plus any exemptions you claim — see the data box above.
Why is my Colorado property tax so high?
Property tax in Colorado is driven mostly by your local rates (especially school levies) and by your home’s assessed value. If your assessment is higher than what your home would actually sell for, you may be overpaying — that is the most common reason a bill is too high, and it is something you can appeal.
How can I lower my Colorado property tax?
Two things help most in Colorado: make sure you are claiming every exemption you qualify for (homestead, senior, veteran, or disability), and appeal your assessment if your home is over-valued. Both can lower your bill, and both are free to do yourself.
Colorado Property Tax Sources & Data
- Colorado Department of Revenue (property tax): https://dpt.colorado.gov/understanding-property-taxes-in-colorado
- Tax Foundation — Property Taxes by State & County: taxfoundation.org
- U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey): census.gov/acs
- Lincoln Institute of Land Policy (property tax data): lincolninst.edu
Colorado property tax rates and typical bills on this page come from U.S. Census (American Community Survey) data as
published by the Tax Foundation, and were last checked in July 2026. Rates and bills change each year and vary by county
— confirm your own figures with your county assessor before you rely on them.
More Property Tax Guides
- Property Tax Rates by State
- Property Tax by County
- Are You Overpaying? Over-Assessment Checker
- Property Tax Exemption Finder
Disclaimer: This guide is informational only and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Know Property Tax is an independent educational resource. It is not a government agency, not a county assessor, and not a tax-appeal service. Property tax rates, bills, exemptions, and deadlines change over time and vary by county and property. Confirm anything that affects your taxes with your county assessor or a licensed professional before you act.