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Highlands Ranch Property Search, Records And Taxes Guide

Property tax guide

Highlands Ranch Property Search, Records and Taxes Guide

Highlands Ranch property search and records through the Douglas County Assessor, the 98.821-mill tax stack, Metro District vs HRCA dues, and due dates.

Call or text 303-955-4220See Highlands Ranch homes

Highlands Ranch property search: where the real records live

A Highlands Ranch property search runs through Douglas County, not through Highlands Ranch itself. Highlands Ranch is an unincorporated community, so the Douglas County Assessor holds the property records and values, the Douglas County Treasurer holds the tax bill, and the Clerk and Recorder holds the deeds. Colorado has no "property appraiser" office; the Assessor does that job. This guide shows which county tool answers which question, what a Highlands Ranch tax bill is made of, and how the Metro District tax differs from HRCA dues. Call or text 303-955-4220. A live person answers.

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Short answer

What is the property tax rate in Highlands Ranch?

Most Highlands Ranch homes sit in a tax area that totals 98.821 mills for tax year 2025, the bill paid in 2026. That covers Douglas County, the Sheriff's law enforcement levy, Douglas County schools, South Metro Fire, the library, the flood district and the Highlands Ranch Metro District. A few tax areas are lower or much higher, so check the exact parcel.

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Which Douglas County tool answers your question

Property records and value

The Assessor's Property Search shows the account and parcel numbers, owner, actual and assessed value, sales history, building details and the parcel's taxing authorities with total mills.

The tax bill and payment

The Treasurer's Property Account Search shows what is owed and paid. Pay online by e-check or card, by mail, or in person in Castle Rock.

Deeds and recorded documents

Deeds, liens and easements are recorded by the Clerk and Recorder, searchable in the county's recorded documents system.

Maps and sales

The Real Property Map Viewer shows parcels on a map, and the Assessor's sales searches show the sales it used to value homes.

Direct links: the Assessor's Property Search, the Treasurer's Property Account Search, the Clerk and Recorder's recorded documents search, and Your Douglas County Taxes, the county's map of where tax dollars go. The Assessor's office is at 301 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock, 303-660-7450.

One $650,000 value, four Highlands Ranch tax areas

$4,090Tax area 3701 (94.786 mills)
$4,250Tax areas 3602 and 3702, most common (98.821 mills)
$4,610Tax area 3703, adds South Suburban Parks (107.621 mills)
$6,880Tax area 3704, adds Hunting Hill Metro District (163.478 mills)

Illustration only, using Douglas County's tax year 2025 levies (paid in 2026) and the 2025 state residential assessment rates: 7.05% for school levies, 6.25% for the rest. $650,000 stands for the Assessor's actual value, not a sale price.

What's in a Highlands Ranch tax bill

Here is the most common Highlands Ranch stack, tax areas 3602 and 3702, for tax year 2025:

  • Douglas County Re-1 schools: 45.528 mills (39.752 operating plus 5.776 for bonds)
  • Douglas County government: 19.774 mills
  • Douglas County law enforcement: 4.500 mills. Unincorporated areas like Highlands Ranch pay it because the Sheriff is their police.
  • South Metro Fire Rescue: 12.250 mills, up from 9.290 after the November 2025 vote
  • Highlands Ranch Metro District: 12.250 mills, up from 11.205
  • Douglas County Libraries: 3.519 mills
  • Mile High Flood District: 1.000 mill

Total: 98.821 mills. The same district carried 94.249 the year before, so most Highlands Ranch owners saw the rate rise for the bills paid in 2026, mainly from the fire and Metro District increases.

Highlands Ranch Metro District tax vs HRCA dues

These two get mixed up all the time, and only one is a tax.

The Highlands Ranch Metro District is a special district, the local government of Highlands Ranch, with a seven-member elected board. Its 12.250 mill levy is on your Douglas County tax bill, and property taxes are its main funding source. It runs the parks, trails and open space, the landscaping along major roads, storm drainage, the senior center and community events. Its voter-approved maximum is 12.750 mills.

The Highlands Ranch Community Association (HRCA) is the homeowners association that runs the four recreation centers. Its 2026 assessment is $174 a quarter ($16 administration plus $158 recreation), billed by HRCA in January, April, July and October. It is not on the tax bill, and a lender counts it like any other HOA fee. Some neighborhoods also have their own sub-association dues on top. Our Highlands Ranch HOA rules guide covers those.

How Douglas County turns value into a bill

Step 1

Value as of June 30, 2024

The Assessor valued Highlands Ranch homes in 2025 using sales through June 30, 2024. That value carries into 2026. The next reappraisal is 2027.

Step 2

Two assessed values

School mills apply to 7.05% of value. Other mills applied to 6.25% for 2025; for 2026 it is 6.8% after taking 10% off the first $700,000.

Step 3

Mills times assessed value

Each mill is $1 per $1,000 of assessed value. Add the school tax and the other tax for the bill.

Step 4

Paid a year behind

The bill you pay in 2026 is for tax year 2025. Statements mail in late January.

Appeals and due dates in Douglas County

Douglas County mails notices of value in reappraisal years, the odd-numbered years, so the next notice comes in 2027. You can appeal online, by mail, or by meeting with an appraiser in person or by video. State law sets June 8 as the last day to protest a real property value with the Assessor, but Douglas County's own pages list both June 1 and June 8, so file by June 1 to cover both dates and confirm with the Assessor at 303-660-7450. After the Assessor's decision you can go to the County Board of Equalization, then to the state Board of Assessment Appeals, district court or arbitration.

Pay the bill in full by April 30, or half by the last day of February and half by June 15. A due date on a weekend moves to the next business day. Late payments carry interest of 1% a month.

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Relief Highlands Ranch owners can apply for

Senior exemption

Owners 65+ who have owned and lived in the home 10 years or more get 50% of the first $200,000 of value exempted. Apply to the Assessor by July 15.

Disabled veteran exemption

A 100% permanent and total VA rating qualifies for the same 50% of the first $200,000. The window is January 1 to July 1.

Tax deferral

Seniors 65+ and active military can have the state pay the tax now as a lien, repaid later. Apply through the Treasurer January 1 to April 1.

Tax Work-Off Program

Douglas County's own program lets taxpayers 60+ or with disabilities work off part of their county property tax in temporary county jobs.

Before you write an offer in Highlands Ranch

Pull these for the exact address:

  • The total mills on the Assessor record, and every taxing authority listed.
  • Whether the parcel is in a higher tax area, such as one with South Suburban Parks or a metro district.
  • The current bill on the Treasurer's site, and whether the seller has a senior or veteran exemption that ends at sale.
  • HRCA's quarterly assessment plus any sub-association dues.
  • The Assessor's value compared with what you are paying.

Highlands Ranch homes for sale now

222 Properties Found
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Highlands Ranch homes for sale now Market Stats

222
Homes Listed
69
Avg. Days on Site
$297
Avg. $ / Sq.Ft.
$720,020
Med. List Price

The homes above update live from the MLS. Before you tour, pull each address in the Assessor's Property Search and compare the total mills. For neighborhoods and amenities, see our Highlands Ranch area guide; for one-level options, Highlands Ranch ranch homes; for lower entry prices, Highlands Ranch townhomes and condos.

Highlands Ranch property questions

How do I search property records in Highlands Ranch?

Use the Douglas County Assessor's Property Search for value, owner, sales and building details, the Treasurer's Property Account Search for taxes, and the Clerk and Recorder's recorded documents search for deeds.

Who is the property appraiser for Highlands Ranch?

Colorado calls that office the County Assessor. Highlands Ranch homes are valued by the Douglas County Assessor in Castle Rock, 303-660-7450.

Is Highlands Ranch a city?

No. Highlands Ranch is an unincorporated community of more than 103,000 residents. Douglas County and the Highlands Ranch Metro District provide its local services.

How much are property taxes on a Highlands Ranch home?

In the most common tax area, 98.821 mills for tax year 2025. On a $650,000 Assessor value that works out to about $4,250 for the bill paid in 2026. Your parcel's value and tax area decide the real number.

Are HRCA dues part of my property tax?

No. HRCA is the homeowners association and bills $174 a quarter in 2026 on its own. The Highlands Ranch Metro District levy is the part on the tax bill.

Why did Highlands Ranch property taxes go up for 2026 bills?

The common tax area rose from 94.249 to 98.821 mills, mostly from South Metro Fire's increase after the November 2025 vote and the Metro District's increase from 11.205 to 12.250 mills.

When are Douglas County property taxes due?

Full payment by April 30, or half by the last day of February and half by June 15. Late payments carry interest of 1% a month.

Want the tax numbers on a home you like?

Send us the address. We pull the county record, the tax area and the metro district before you write an offer.

Call 303-955-4220Text The Kenna Group

Know the full monthly cost before you buy

The Kenna Group at Keller Williams DTC helps buyers and sellers across Highlands Ranch. Send us an address and we'll pull the Assessor record, the tax area, HRCA and any sub-association dues so your payment estimate is the real one. Call or text 303-955-4220. A live person answers.

The Kenna Group is a real estate group with Keller Williams Realty DTC, LLC (Keller Williams DTC), formerly known as Kenna Real Estate Group, serving Denver metro home buyers and sellers.

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