How is Denver property tax figured on a $1 million home?
The bill is actual value times an assessment rate times a mill levy. For the 2026 tax year, billed in January 2027, the Colorado Division of Property Taxation lists two residential rates: 7.05 percent of actual value for school district levies, and 6.8 percent for all other local levies after 10 percent comes off the first $700,000 of value. On a $1 million home that works out to $70,500 of assessed value for the school levy and $63,240 for everything else, each multiplied by the mill levy Denver’s taxing authorities certify in December.
Source: Colorado Division of Property Taxation, 2026 residential assessment rates, read October 2026. These are public tax rates, not figures about sales by Sara Garza, Donna Ryan or LIV Sotheby’s International Realty.
Denver property tax is one of the costs that matters most once a home crosses $1 million, because the bill grows with value and it arrives every year you own the house. This guide walks through how the City and County of Denver figures the bill, what changed for the 2026 tax year, how a 2027 reappraisal fits in, and how neighboring Arapahoe and Douglas counties handle the same formula.
How Is a Denver Property Tax Bill Built?
Every residential bill in Colorado comes from the same three pieces.
- Actual value. The Denver Assessor estimates what your home was worth on a fixed date, using sales of similar homes. This is the value printed on your Notice of Valuation.
- Assessment rate. The state legislature sets the share of actual value that is taxed. The result is called assessed value.
- Mill levy. Each taxing authority that covers your address, such as Denver Public Schools, the city and the regional flood district, sets its own levy each December. One mill is one dollar of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value.
The Denver Assessor’s Assessment FAQ spells out that the Assessment Division values property but does not set taxes or collect payments. The Denver Treasury mails the bill and collects it.
Our earlier article on what goes into your Denver home’s value covers the difference between an assessed value and a sale price.
What Are the Residential Assessment Rates for 2026?
Since 2025, Colorado has used two residential assessment rates instead of one.
For the 2026 tax year, the Division of Property Taxation’s residential local government rate page lists the local rate as 6.80 percent after a 10 percent reduction of the first $700,000 in actual value, with a minimum of $1,000 of assessed value. The Division’s Understanding Property Taxes in Colorado page lists the school rate as 7.05 percent.
In practice, any home worth $700,000 or more gets the full $70,000 reduction on the local side, and nothing comes off the school side.
The law that set these rates also allows a slightly lower rate when statewide growth in residential value runs above a set threshold. The Summit County Assessor’s summary of the rates set by the 2024 property tax laws shows 6.7 percent for local levies and 6.95 percent for school levies in that case. We use the Division’s 2026 figures below.
Source: Colorado Division of Property Taxation, 2026 residential assessment rates, read October 2026, and the Summit County Assessor’s summary of assessment rates. These are public tax rates, not figures about sales by Sara Garza, Donna Ryan or LIV Sotheby’s International Realty.
A Worked Example at Four Price Points
The table below applies the 2026 rates from the Division of Property Taxation to four actual values. It stops at assessed value and tax per mill, because Denver’s levies for the 2026 tax year are not certified until December 2026. To turn a row into a bill, multiply the school figure by the school mills on your bill and the local figure by the remaining mills, then add the two.
| Actual value | School assessed value (7.05 percent) | Local assessed value (6.8 percent after the $70,000 reduction) | Tax per school mill | Tax per local mill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000,000 | $70,500 | $63,240 | $70.50 | $63.24 |
| $1,500,000 | $105,750 | $97,240 | $105.75 | $97.24 |
| $2,000,000 | $141,000 | $131,240 | $141.00 | $131.24 |
| $3,000,000 | $211,500 | $199,240 | $211.50 | $199.24 |
For a sense of scale, the Denver Assessor’s FAQ still shows its 2024 example, with a combined general levy of 79.202 mills including Denver Public Schools and the Urban Drainage District. That is not the 2026 levy. As an illustration only: if the 2026 levies added up to that same 79.202 mills, a $1 million home would owe somewhere between about $5,010 and $5,580, and a $2 million home between about $10,390 and $11,170. Where the bill lands in that range depends on how much of the total belongs to the school district.
Source: Denver Assessor’s Office, Assessment FAQ, read October 2026, with rates from the Colorado Division of Property Taxation. These are public tax figures and our arithmetic, not figures about sales by Sara Garza, Donna Ryan or LIV Sotheby’s International Realty.
Where Does Denver’s Mill Levy Come From?
The mill levy on a Denver bill is a stack of separate levies. The largest pieces are Denver Public Schools and the City and County of Denver, with smaller levies for the regional flood district and, at some addresses, a metropolitan district or other special district.
Two things can move the levy between now and your next bill. The first is voter approved measures: Denver voters are deciding a Denver Public Schools mill levy override in the November 2026 election, and Colorado Politics reported in August 2026 that collection would begin in 2027 if it passes. The second is each authority’s annual budget.
In newer developments, a metropolitan district can add mills for streets and infrastructure as its own line on the bill.
The Calendar: The 2026 Bill, the 2027 Reappraisal and Appeals
Colorado reappraises real property every odd numbered year. According to the Division of Property Taxation, values for the 2025 and 2026 tax years rest on sales between January 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. That means your 2026 value is normally the same value you saw on your 2025 notice, unless the home itself changed.
The next reappraisal is for the 2027 tax year. Following the same cycle, its values reflect the market as of June 30, 2026, and notices of value go out by May 1, 2027.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| December 2026 | Taxing authorities certify mill levies for the 2026 tax year |
| January 2027 | Denver Treasury mails 2026 property tax statements |
| Last day of February 2027 | First half payment due |
| April 30, 2027 | Full payment due if paying all at once |
| By May 1, 2027 | Notices of value for the 2027 reappraisal mailed |
| June 8, 2027 | Deadline to protest a value with the Denver Assessor |
| June 15, 2027 | Second half payment due |
The payment dates come from the Denver Treasury property tax calendar. The protest deadline of June 8 each year comes from the Denver Assessor’s FAQ.
A protest is about value, not about the tax rate. The Assessor’s FAQ says you can protest in writing, in person or online, with your schedule number, an explanation and supporting evidence such as sales of similar homes. If you disagree with the Assessor’s decision, you can take it to the County Board of Equalization, and from there to the State Board of Assessment Appeals, district court or binding arbitration.
How Do Arapahoe and Douglas Counties Compare?
The formula is the same across the county line, because assessment rates are set by the state. What differs is who values the home, who collects the bill and which levies stack on top.
In Arapahoe County, the county assessor sets the value and the county treasurer bills and collects. The City of Greenwood Village property tax page explains that the treasurer distributes the money to each taxing authority on the statement, and that most of a typical bill supports schools, the county and special districts rather than the city. The City of Cherry Hills Village property tax page makes the same point: the city’s levy is one part, and school, water and sanitation, fire and library districts add their own.
The Douglas County Assessor’s residential calculation page walks through the identical structure: 7.05 percent for school levies and 6.8 percent for other local levies with the 10 percent adjustment on the first $700,000. It also confirms that the $55,000 exemption used in 2023 and 2024 has expired and does not apply in 2025 or 2026.
Source: Douglas County Assessor, residential property tax calculations, read October 2026. These are public tax figures, not figures about sales by Sara Garza, Donna Ryan or LIV Sotheby’s International Realty.
| Piece of the bill | Denver | Arapahoe County | Douglas County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who sets value | Denver Assessor | Arapahoe County Assessor | Douglas County Assessor |
| Who bills and collects | Denver Treasury | Arapahoe County Treasurer | Douglas County Treasurer |
| Assessment rates | State rates | State rates | State rates |
| What drives the total levy | Denver Public Schools, city and special districts | School district, county, city and special districts at the address | School district, county, city or town and special districts at the address |
Because the total levy depends on the exact set of districts at an address, two homes a few blocks apart can carry different bills on the same value. We do not estimate a levy for any one neighborhood; the county treasurer’s record for the specific parcel is the only reliable number.
What This Means If You Are Buying or Selling
For metro context, the DMAR Real Estate Market Trends Report for September 2026 counted 4,449 closings at $1 million and above across the metro year to date, up 1.99 percent, with 13,567 active listings at the end of September. Those are metro figures, not Denver or neighborhood figures, and they say nothing certain about where the 2027 values will land.
Source: Denver Metro Association of Realtors, September 2026 Market Trends Report. Figures cover all reported sales in the area, not necessarily sales by Sara Garza, Donna Ryan or LIV Sotheby’s International Realty.
If you are buying, ask for the seller’s latest tax statement and look at every line, not just the total. If the current bill reflects an exemption, ask what the bill would be without it, since exemptions depend on the owner’s own eligibility.
If you are selling, buyers will read the same statement, and the 2027 notice in May sets the value they see next spring.
Two exemptions are worth checking for owners. The Division of Property Taxation’s senior exemption page describes an exemption of 50 percent of the first $200,000 of actual value, when the state budget allows, for owners who are at least 65 on January 1 and have owned and lived in the home as their primary residence for at least 10 consecutive years. Applications go to the county assessor by July 15. A separate exemption exists for veterans with a disability, and only one exemption is allowed per residential property in a tax year.
Source: Colorado Division of Property Taxation, Property Tax Exemption for Senior Citizens in Colorado, read October 2026. These are public tax figures, not figures about sales by Sara Garza, Donna Ryan or LIV Sotheby’s International Realty.
If you would like a current read on what your home could sell for, which is a different number from the Assessor’s value, you can request a home value from us, or reach out for a private consultation about buying or selling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Denver property tax rate on a home?
There is no single rate. For the 2026 tax year the state sets a 7.05 percent assessment rate for school levies and 6.8 percent for other local levies after 10 percent comes off the first $700,000 of value. Those assessed values are then multiplied by the mill levies certified in December.
When will I pay my 2026 Denver property tax?
The Denver Treasury mails 2026 statements in January 2027. You can pay in two halves, due the last day of February and June 15, 2027, or pay in full by April 30, 2027.
Will my Denver home be revalued in 2027?
Yes. Colorado reappraises in every odd numbered year, so the 2027 tax year brings new values that reflect the market as of June 30, 2026. Notices of value are mailed by May 1, 2027, and the Denver Assessor’s protest deadline is June 8.
Is the old $55,000 reduction still part of the formula?
No. The Douglas County Assessor’s page confirms the $55,000 residential exemption used in 2023 and 2024 has expired. For 2026 the reduction applies only to local levies: 10 percent of the first $700,000 of actual value, which is $70,000 for any home worth $700,000 or more.