Denver property tax guide
Denver Property Taxes: How the Bill Works and What to Check for a Home
A Denver tax bill does not start with the list price. It starts with the value set by Denver's Assessor. For a monthly-cost check, compare three things separately: the list price, the assessed value on the tax record, and the mill levy for that address. That keeps you from treating the list price and the tax bill like they should match. This guide shows where to find those numbers and what to check before you write an offer.
How a Denver Tax Bill Is Built
From market value to assessed value
Denver's Assessor sets the home's actual, or market, value, then lowers it by any value reductions and an assessment rate to reach the assessed value. The tax is figured on the assessed value, not the market value.
The formula
The bill uses the assessed value and the mill levy. If the levy is shown as mills, multiply the assessed value by the mill levy and divide by 1,000. One mill is a dollar of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value, so the mill levy is what turns the assessed value into a dollar amount.
Who sets which part
The Assessor sets the value, not the tax rate. The mill levy is set by the taxing authorities that serve the address — the City and County of Denver, Denver Public Schools, and any special districts.
What Changes by the Exact Address
The mill levy is not one Denver-wide number. It is the sum of every taxing district that covers the parcel — the city, the school district, and any special or metro districts on that specific address — so two homes a few blocks apart can carry different mill levies. The only figure you can rely on is the one for the exact address. For scale, Denver's combined general mill levy for 2025 — the city, Denver Public Schools, and the Urban Drainage District together — was 79.602 mills, but that is a reference point, not the number for any given home.
Where to Look Up the Real Numbers
Denver Property Search
Enter the address, Parcel ID, or schedule number to pull the property record, the assessed value, and the tax statement. Denver updates it daily, so it is the place to start for the real figures on a specific home.
Denver Property Information
Use Denver Property Information when you need assessor maps and deeper property detail after the basic record.
Colorado Property Tax Map
The Colorado Property Tax Map shows which taxing districts and rates apply across the state. Use it as explanatory context because it is unaudited; before you rely on a number for an offer, confirm it against Denver's parcel record for the exact address.
All three are linked under Official Sources at the bottom of this guide.
Reappraisal, the Value Date, and Protesting
- Denver reappraises every home every two years, in odd-numbered years — 2023, 2025, and so on.
- For the 2025 and 2026 tax years, the value reflects home sales through June 30, 2024 — roughly the 18 to 24 months of sales ending on that date, reaching further back when sales were sparse.
- If the assigned value or the classification looks wrong, you can protest it. For 2026, the protest window was May 1 through June 8, 2026. Check the Denver protest page, linked below, for the current year's dates.
Payment Timing, Late Interest, and Special Assessments
- You can pay in two installments — the first half by the last day of February and the second half by June 15 — or in full by April 30.
- Once a payment is past due, interest runs at 1% a month.
- A special assessment — a charge for a local improvement district — is billed separately from the regular property tax and can be spread over twelve annual installments. Read it as its own line, never folded into the tax.
Relief and Exemption Programs
Denver and Colorado run several property-tax relief and exemption programs — the Denver Property Tax Relief Program, the Colorado Property Tax Deferral Program, the Denver Property Tax Exemption, and the Colorado Property Tax Exemption Program. Each has its own rules and its own way to apply. Check what applies, and how to qualify, on the official Denver property-tax page, linked under Official Sources.
Look These Up for a Home Before You Write an Offer
Before you write an offer, pull these for the exact address — every one is linked under Official Sources at the bottom of this guide.
- The assessed value and the current tax statement, in Denver Property Search.
- The mill levy and the taxing districts that fall on the parcel.
- Any special assessment or local-improvement-district charge on the bill.
- The reappraisal year, and whether a protest window is open.
Current Denver Homes for Sale
Start here to build your short list of Denver homes for sale. Once you have a few addresses you are serious about, run each one through Denver Property Search to pull its assessed value and mill levy, then compare the homes on those real numbers. Save the search to get email updates when a matching home comes on the market, changes price, or changes status.
Questions Buyers Ask
What will the property taxes be on a Denver home I am considering?
How are Denver property taxes calculated?
What is the difference between actual value and assessed value?
Which taxing districts affect a specific address?
What should I do if the value or classification looks wrong?
Can I treat the state tax map as the final record for a home?
Official Sources
Checked 2026-07-09.
Ask Kenna About a Home's Taxes
When you are considering a second showing or an offer on a Denver home, ask Kenna Real Estate Group to pull the numbers with you — the assessed value, the mill levy and the districts on the parcel, any special assessment, and the current tax statement. This guide does not tell you what to offer, how to compete, or when to buy; call, text, or email Brian Burke for those questions about a specific home.