Colorado’s budget increased cumulatively less than pop+inf in state funds and all funds from 2014-23, meaning taxes have been kept below what the average taxpayer can afford.
- The 2023 state funds budget is $5.2 billion less than it would have been had spending grown at the rate of population growth plus inflation over the past decade.
- Because the state funds budget grew slower than population growth plus inflation for the last ten years, the state spent and taxed $19.6 billion less than possible.
- The 2023 all funds budget is $2.7 billion less than it would have been had spending grown at the rate of population growth plus inflation over the past decade.
- Because the all funds budget grew slower than population growth plus inflation over the past decade, the state spent and taxed $9.6 billion less than possible.
State Funds Budget Data
- Estimated FY 2024 Only State Funds Budget ($ Billions): $28.98
- FY 2025 Only State Funds Budget Limit ($ Billions): $30.69
- FY 2025 Only State Funds Budget Limit Growth ($ Billions): 5.89%
- Cost per person of state funds budgeting more than pop+inf over the last decade in 2023 budget: ($880)
- Cost per family of 4 of budgeting more than pop+inf over the last decade in 2023 budget: ($3,520)
- Cumulative cost per person of state funds budgeting more than pop+inf over the last decade from 2014-23: ($3,328)
- Cumulative cost per family of 4 of state funds budgeting more than pop+inf over the last decade from 2014-23: ($13,313)
State All Funds Budget Data
- Estimated FY 2024 All Funds Budget ($ Billions): $41.35
- FY 2025 All Funds Budget Limit ($ Billions): $43.78
- FY 2025 All Funds Budget Limit Growth ($ Billions): 5.89%
- Cost per person of all funds budgeting more than pop+inf over the last decade in 2023 budget: $(467)
- Cost per family of 4 of all funds budgeting more than pop+inf over the last decade in 2023 budget: $(1,868)
- Cumulative cost per person of all funds budgeting more than pop+inf over the last decade from 2014-23: $(1,632)
- Cumulative cost per family of 4 of all funds budgeting more than pop+inf over the last decade from 2014-23: $(6,529)
Other Considerations
- Economic Freedom of North America (2021) (Rank): 21 [Fraser Institute]
- Economic Freedom (2022) (Rank): 19 [Cato Institute]
- Fiscal Policy (2022) (Rank): 17 [Cato Institute]
- Regulatory Policy (2022) (Rank): 28 [Cato Institute]
- State Tax Collections Per Capita (FY2021) ($): $3,238 [Tax Foundation]
- State Tax Collections Per Capita (FY2021) (Rank): 35 [Tax Foundation]
- State-Local Total Tax Burden per Capita (2022) ($): $6,699 [Tax Foundation]
- State-Local Tax Burden per Capita (2022) (%): 9.70% [Tax Foundation]
- State-Local Tax Burden per Capita (2022) (Rank): 19 [Tax Foundation]
- Top Income Tax Rate (2024) (%): 4.40% [Tax Foundation]
- Top Income Tax Rate (2024) (Rank): 18 [Tax Foundation]
- Flat/Progressive/Zero Income Tax (2024): F [Tax Foundation]
- Overall State Business Tax Climate Index (2024)(Rank): 27 [Tax Foundation]
- Top Corporate Income Tax Rate (2024) (%): 4.40% [Tax Foundation]
- Top Corporate Income Tax Rate (2024) (Rank): 11 [Tax Foundation]
- State-Local Sales Tax Rate (2024) (%): 7.78% [Tax Foundation]
- State-Local Sales Tax Rate (2024) (Rank): 36 [Tax Foundation]
- Property Taxes Paid as a Percentage of Owner-Occupied Housing Value (2021) (%): 0.55% [Tax Foundation]
- Property Taxes Paid as a Percentage of Owner-Occupied Housing Value (2021) (Rank): 48 [Tax Foundation]
- Economic Outlook (2024) (Rank): 17 [American Legislative Exchange Council]
- Economic Performance Rankings, 2012-2022 (2024) (Rank): 5 [American Legislative Exchange Council]
- Tax and Expenditure Limit (Rank): 1 [American Legislative Exchange Council]
- Right-to-Work Law (2022) (Y/N): N [American Legislative Exchange Council]
- State-Local Spending per Capita (2022) ($): $14,258 [US Government Spending]
- State-Local Spending per Capita (2022) (Rank): 38 [US Government Spending]
- Official Poverty Rate (2021-23) (%): 8.2 [Census Bureau]
- Official Poverty Rate (2021-23) (Rank): 5 [Census Bureau]
- Supplemental Poverty Rate (2021-23) (%): 9.4 [Census Bureau]
- Labor Force Participation Rate (Dec 2023) (%): 68.40% [Bureau of Labor Statistics]
- Labor Force Participation Rate (Dec 2023) (Rank): 4 [Bureau of Labor Statistics]