Property Tax in Arapahoe County, Colorado
Homeowners in Arapahoe County, Colorado pay a median of $2,767 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $526,000. Those are the Census Bureau's published medians for the county (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023) — the typical bill and the typical home value for owner-occupied households.
What the Arapahoe County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Arapahoe County pay more than $2,767, and half pay less. Your own bill is set by your home's assessed value, the exemptions you qualify for, and the local taxing districts your property sits in — so individual bills vary widely around the median.
Dividing the median tax by the median home value gives a derived effective rate of 0.53% for Arapahoe County. It is an estimate built from two survey medians, not the county's official rate, but it is a fair way to compare the local tax burden with other counties where home values are very different.
Arapahoe County by the numbers
| Measure | Arapahoe County | Colorado | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $2,767 | $2,448 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $526,000 | $502,200 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.53% | 0.49% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $231 | $204 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Arapahoe County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Colorado: #9 of 64 counties
- Median home value rank in Colorado: #18 of 64
- Population rank in Colorado: #3 of 64 (655,709 residents)
- Population density rank: #3 of 64 (822 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Colorado: #48 of 64 (797 sq mi, 0.8% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $231; per $1,000 of home value: $0.53
How Arapahoe County compares
Set against its state, Arapahoe County's median bill of $2,767 is about 13% higher than the Colorado median ($2,448). Against the country as a whole it is about 7% lower than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #9 of 64 Colorado counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Arapahoe County's median home, at $526,000, ranks #18 by value in Colorado, while its derived rate of 0.53% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Arapahoe County: the median bill works out to about $231 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $526 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 655,709 people — the #3 most populous county in Colorado, spread over 797 square miles, a density of about 822 people per square mile. Its median home value, $526,000, ranks #18 among the state's 64 counties with data.
Nationally, Arapahoe County's median bill of $2,767 ranks #541 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 17% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 11.3% of Colorado's population, its median home value is about 5% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 5.26% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Arapahoe County to the most expensive county, Pitkin County ($4,450), is $1,683 a year.
Counties nearest Arapahoe County in the Colorado ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, CO | $2,867 | $604,400 | 0.47% |
| Adams County, CO | $2,770 | $458,400 | 0.60% |
| Larimer County, CO | $2,662 | $532,200 | 0.50% |
| Summit County, CO | $2,641 | $850,700 | 0.31% |
How the tax is worked out
As an illustration of the arithmetic: at Arapahoe County's derived rate of 0.53%, a home valued at $400,000 would carry a tax bill of roughly $2,104 a year. That is only an illustration using the derived rate — a real bill is computed from the property's assessed value, its exemptions, and the combined rates of its specific taxing districts, so it can be higher or lower.
The usual sequence is: the local assessor values the property; exemptions are applied; the taxable value is multiplied by the combined local rates; and the county bills and collects the tax, distributing it to the schools, municipalities and districts that levied it.
Checking your assessment in Arapahoe County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Arapahoe County assessor: wrong square footage, an extra room, or a missing homestead exemption are common and fixable. Next, line your assessed value up against recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. Many disputes end at an informal conversation with the assessor's office; if yours does not, file the formal appeal with the review board named on your notice before its deadline, evidence attached, and keep paying the bill in the meantime so penalties do not build up.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Arapahoe County, Colorado?
The median real estate tax paid in Arapahoe County, Colorado is $2,767 per year, on a median home value of $526,000 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Arapahoe County, Colorado?
On a derived basis, 0.53%: the county's median tax bill of $2,767 divided by its median home value of $526,000. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Arapahoe County compare with the rest of Colorado?
By median taxes paid, Arapahoe County stands at #9 among the 64 Colorado counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $2,767 median bill is about 13% higher than the state median ($2,448), and 8 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Arapahoe County, Colorado?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Arapahoe County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $2,767 on a median home value of $526,000.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Arapahoe County, Colorado?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Arapahoe County assessor's property record card for your home, correct any factual errors, and back your case with comparable recent sales. Formal appeals go to the review board named on your assessment notice and must be filed by its deadline, typically within 30 to 90 days.