A $1 million West Highland home owes roughly $5,390 in Denver property tax on the bill paid in 2026, based on Denver’s 79.602-mill baseline levy, a 7.05 percent school assessment rate and a 6.25 percent rate for everything else.
A $1 million value is a common round number for running a West Highland monthly payment or checking an escrow statement, whether the home is a renovated bungalow, a Denver square or a newer build. It is also a value where the 2026 changes to Colorado’s assessment rules played out a little differently than they did for the median Denver home.
West Highland is Denver’s statistical neighborhood between West 29th and West 38th Avenues, from Sheridan Boulevard east to Federal Boulevard, with Highlands Square at 32nd and Lowell near its center. All of it sits inside the City and County of Denver and Denver Public Schools, so nearly every home pays the same core set of taxing entities. Value, not block, drives most of the difference between two West Highland bills.
Jason Sirois is a Denver Realtor with FORM at Compass, whose office is at 1900 W 32nd Ave in Northwest Denver. This post shows the math for a $1 million West Highland home, explains why higher-value homes saw a different change than the citywide headline, and covers what is already scheduled for the bills paid in 2027.
How is property tax on a $1 million West Highland home calculated?
The Denver Assessor’s formula is actual value, less any value reduction in effect, times the residential assessment rate, times the mill levy. One mill is one dollar of tax per $1,000 of assessed value. For the bills Denver homeowners paid in 2026, three inputs mattered:
- Actual value. Denver reappraises in odd-numbered years. The 2025 values, based on sales from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2024, carry through the 2026 tax year.
- Two assessment rates. CPR News reported that the single 6.7 percent residential rate was replaced by 7.05 percent for school district taxes and 6.25 percent for all other taxing entities.
- Mill levy. According to a Virtuance summary of Denver’s 2025 districts and levies schedule, the baseline was 79.602 mills: 52.274 for Denver Public Schools and 27.328 for the city and other non-school entities.
Colorado property taxes are paid a year in arrears, so the 2025 tax year is the bill paid in 2026. For a $1 million home, the school portion works out to $1,000,000 times 7.05 percent times 52.274 mills, about $3,685. The non-school portion is $1,000,000 times 6.25 percent times 27.328 mills, about $1,708. Together that is about $5,393, an effective rate of roughly 0.54 percent of value.
What do other West Highland price points pay?
The same arithmetic at a few round values brackets most West Highland single-family homes. The last column shows what DPS Ballot Issue 4A would add if it takes effect, using the district’s estimate of $11.50 per $100,000 of home value.
| Actual value | School portion | Non-school portion | Estimated bill paid in 2026 | 4A add-on, if it takes effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $750,000 | About $2,764 | About $1,281 | About $4,045 | About $86 a year |
| $1,000,000 | About $3,685 | About $1,708 | About $5,393 | About $115 a year |
| $1,250,000 | About $4,607 | About $2,135 | About $6,742 | About $144 a year |
| $1,500,000 | About $5,528 | About $2,562 | About $8,090 | About $172 a year |
These are estimates built from published rates and levies, not an official figure for any property. The values are round numbers for illustration, not West Highland sale prices. A home inside a metro district or a special improvement district carries an additional levy that appears as its own line on the tax statement, so the exact figure for a specific address should come from the Denver Assessor or the latest bill.
Why was the 2026 increase different for a $1 million home?
CPR’s widely shared example was a $500,000 Denver home whose bill rose from about $2,360 to about $2,680, more than 13 percent, with no change in value. Most of that came from the expiration of a temporary discount that had reduced each home’s taxable value by up to $55,000.
That discount was a fixed dollar amount, so it mattered less as value went up. It covered 11 percent of a $500,000 home’s value but only 5.5 percent of a $1 million home’s value. Losing it still raised the bill on a $1 million West Highland home, but by a smaller share than the headline example. The higher 7.05 percent school rate, on the other hand, applies to every dollar of value, and school taxes are about two-thirds of a Denver bill.
Our post on Sunnyside property taxes in 2026 walks through the same rates at lower values, which is a useful comparison for anyone weighing homes on both sides of Federal.
What could change West Highland property taxes in 2027?
Two things are already in motion for the bills paid in 2027.
DPS Ballot Issue 4A. Denver voters decided on November 3, 2026 whether to raise DPS operating taxes by up to $44 million a year, with no expiration. As of 8 a.m. on November 4, Complete Colorado reported 4A winning with 68 percent of the vote. Those results were preliminary, not certified. If it takes effect, the district’s estimate of $11.50 per $100,000 of value means about $115 a year on a $1 million home. Our explainer on what DPS Ballot Issue 4A would add to a Northwest Denver tax bill covers what the money would fund.
New non-school rules. CPR reported that for the 2026 tax year the non-school assessment rate returns to 6.8 percent and a new $70,000 value discount applies to non-school taxes only. For a $500,000 home that trims the non-school portion by about $55, close to CPR’s own estimate of about $50. At $1 million the math runs the other way: 6.8 percent of $930,000 is slightly more than 6.25 percent of $1,000,000, so at today’s levies the non-school portion would rise by about $20. The crossover is roughly $865,000 of value. That is arithmetic on the non-school side only; the school rate and every mill levy can also change, and the final numbers will not be known until bills go out.
How do property taxes affect buying or selling in West Highland?
At $1 million, property tax adds roughly $450 a month to a mortgage payment, which lenders count when qualifying a buyer. Buyers comparing a West Highland home with one in Jefferson County across Sheridan should compare actual tax statements, not rates alone, since assessment rules and levies differ by county and district.
At closing, Colorado taxes are prorated. Because the bill is paid in arrears, the seller usually credits the buyer for the part of the current year they owned the home, based on the most recent known bill. In a year when rates or levies change, that estimate can differ from the bill that eventually arrives.
Sellers can make this easy by having the latest tax statement ready, along with any protest results. For more on the neighborhood, see our West Highland community page.
When are Denver property taxes due?
Denver bills can be paid in two halves or all at once: the first half by the last day of February, the second half by June 15, or a single full payment by April 30. Most owners with a mortgage pay through escrow, and the lender adjusts the monthly payment once a year. A higher bill often creates an escrow shortage that is spread over the following year on top of the new, higher amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is property tax on a $1 million home in Denver in 2026?
About $5,390 at the baseline Denver levy, based on 7.05 percent of value times 52.274 school mills plus 6.25 percent times 27.328 non-school mills. Metro or improvement districts add more.
What is the property tax rate in West Highland, Denver?
For bills paid in 2026, the effective rate on a home at the baseline levy is about 0.54 percent of actual value. West Highland is entirely within Denver, so it shares the citywide levy.
Did DPS Ballot Issue 4A pass?
Preliminary results on November 4 showed 4A winning with 68 percent. Results were not certified when this was written. If it takes effect, it adds about $11.50 a year per $100,000 of home value.
Will West Highland property taxes go down in 2027?
Not necessarily. The new $70,000 non-school discount helps lower-value homes most. At about $865,000 and up, the higher 6.8 percent non-school rate outweighs it, before any levy changes or new voter-approved taxes.
When is the next Denver reappraisal?
Denver reappraises in odd-numbered years. Notices of value for 2027 go out in the spring, based on sales through mid-2026, and apply to taxes paid in 2028.
Where can I find the exact tax on a West Highland address?
Look up the property with the Denver Assessor for its actual value and tax district, or read its most recent Denver Treasury tax statement, which lists every levy line.
This article is for general information only and reflects published rates, reporting and preliminary election results as of November 4, 2026. It is not tax, legal or financial advice. Confirm the figures for any property with the Denver Assessor and Denver Treasury, and consult a tax professional about your situation.
