Taxes in Colorado
Every state-level tax in Colorado, in one place—income, sales, property, corporate, estate, transfer, and excise taxes. Figures sourced from the IRS, U.S. Census Bureau, and Tax Foundation.
Colorado stands out most for what it doesn't charge: its state median county property tax rate ranks 49th out of 51, meaning only a couple of jurisdictions nationwide levy less on property. For anyone weighing a move, that single fact reshapes the math of owning a home here — a modest annual bill leaves more room in the budget for everything else. The state's tax identity, then, leans heavily on keeping property costs down rather than extracting revenue from land and buildings. Buyers comparing Colorado against peers should treat this as its defining advantage, one that persists regardless of what a given county assesses.
State income tax
4.40% flat rate.
Local income tax: Denver levies an occupational privilege tax of $9.75/month. See all local income taxes.
Sales tax
The combined state + local sales tax rate is 7.89%. State rate 2.90% plus an average 4.99% local.
Estate & inheritance tax
Colorado imposes no state estate or inheritance tax—only the federal estate tax applies.
Real estate transfer tax
Colorado levies a transfer tax of 0.010% — Documentary fee.
Cigarette Tax
Colorado levies a cigarette tax of $2.24 per pack of 20. Federal excise adds $1.01 per pack.
Gas Tax
Colorado levies a gas tax of 30.18¢ per gallon. Federal excise adds 18.4¢ per gallon. Excludes local taxes and environmental/carbon-related costs.
Beer Tax
Colorado levies a beer tax of $0.080 per gallon. Federal excise adds $0.113–$0.581 per gallon depending on brewery size.
Wine Tax
Colorado levies a wine tax of $0.320 per gallon. Federal excise adds $1.07 per gallon (11% still wine). MS, NH, PA, UT, WY are control states with no published excise rate.
Spirits Tax
Colorado levies a spirits tax of $2.280 per gallon. Federal excise adds $5.40 per gallon (40% ABV). NH and WY are control states with an effective $0.00 rate.
Property tax by county
The state's median county effective property tax rate is 0.39%. Compare counties below for local rates.
Counties in Colorado by property tax rate
| County | Effective rate | Median home value |
|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 0.61% | $484,200 |
| Broomfield County | 0.60% | $664,500 |
| Kiowa County | 0.58% | $161,500 |
| Phillips County | 0.56% | $258,200 |
| Douglas County | 0.55% | $713,600 |
| Boulder County | 0.53% | $756,300 |
| Arapahoe County | 0.52% | $561,200 |
| Morgan County | 0.52% | $338,600 |
| Weld County | 0.52% | $471,700 |
| Pueblo County | 0.50% | $291,300 |
| Larimer County | 0.50% | $569,100 |
| Kit Carson County | 0.49% | $239,500 |
| Jefferson County | 0.48% | $637,600 |
| Yuma County | 0.47% | $211,700 |
| Cheyenne County | 0.47% | $187,500 |
| Logan County | 0.46% | $245,300 |
| Elbert County | 0.45% | $709,800 |
| Crowley County | 0.45% | $116,200 |
| Denver County | 0.45% | $616,000 |
| Sedgwick County | 0.45% | $149,000 |
| Baca County | 0.44% | $122,900 |
| Lincoln County | 0.44% | $246,500 |
| Alamosa County | 0.43% | $239,100 |
| Lake County | 0.42% | $466,100 |
| Eagle County | 0.42% | $839,500 |
| Garfield County | 0.42% | $527,800 |
| El Paso County | 0.41% | $461,000 |
| Conejos County | 0.40% | $193,400 |
| Moffat County | 0.40% | $289,500 |
| Custer County | 0.40% | $392,100 |