- Local
- Community
- Journalism
Support the independent voice of Denver and help keep the future of Westword free.
According to data shared by the Colorado Department of Revenue, 29 counties in Colorado generated nearly $35 million in tax revenues during 2016, not counting the nearly $200 million in tax revenue collected by the state itself. The amounts range from just over $70,000 in one mountain county to more than $14 million in the state's most populous metro area.
County tax revenues from marijuana are frequently overlooked when it comes time to analyze the cash windfall that cannabis has brought to Colorado in recent years. But figures originally assembled by the Colorado Springs Gazette demonstrate how substantial they've grown.
Of the $34,988,901 in marijuana tax revenues that wound up in county coffers, the majority can be traced to the top four, all located in the Denver-Boulder area. In fifth place, meanwhile, is El Paso County, which reached this peak despite not allowing recreational marijuana sales; its totals are solely from medical cannabis.
Count down the riches from all 29 counties below.
Number 29: Gilpin County
Recreational: $70,841
Medical: N/A
Total: $70,841
Number 28: Costilla County
Recreational: $82,306
Medical: N/A
Total: $82,306
Number 27: Ouray County
Recreational: $92,178
Medical: N/A
Total: $92,178
Number 26: Grand County
Recreational: $93,863
Medical: N/A
Total: $93,863
Number 25: Park County
Recreational: $97,848
Medical: N/A
$97,848
Number 24: Conejos County
Recreational: $100,481
Medical: N/A
Total: $100,481
Number 23: Archuleta County
Recreational: $101,395
Medical: N/A
Total: $101,395
Number 22: Chaffee County
Recreational: $103,742
Medical: N/A
Total: $103,742
Number 21: San Miguel County
Recreational: $101,441
Medical: $12,503
Total: $113,944
Number 20: Morgan County
Recreational: $128,682
Medical: N/A
Total: $128,682
Number 19: Gunnison County
Recreational: $163,313
Medical: N/A
Total: $163,313
Number 18: Clear Creek County
Recreational: $192,571
Medical: $28,033
Total: $220,604
Number 17: Pitkin County
Recreational: $263,152
Medical: $33,842
Total: $296,994
Number 16: Routt County
Recreational: $253,181
Medical: $82,351
Total: $335,532
Continue to see the 2016 figures for the top fifteen Colorado counties when measured by marijuana tax revenue.
Number 15: Eagle County
Recreational: $350,755
Medical: N/A
Total: $350,755
Number 14: Montezuma County
Recreational: $335,348
Medical: $63,120
Total: $398,468
Number 13: Garfield County
Recreational: $443,677
Medical: $134,833
Total: $578,510
Number 12: Las Animas County
Recreational: $592,085
Medical: N/A
Total: $592,085
Number 11: Summit County
Recreational: $579,920
Medical: $50,319
Total: $630,239
Number 10: La Plata County
Recreational: $604,484
Medical: $162,741
Total: $767,225
Number 9: Weld County
Recreational: $757,836
Medical: $101,887
Total: $859,723
Number 8: Pueblo County
Recreational: $763,680
Medical: $242,558
Total: $1,006,238
Number 7: Adams County
Recreational: $1,322,421
Medical: $145,123
Total: $1,467,544
Number 6: Larimer County
Recreational: $1,258,199
Medical: $385,017
Total: $1,643,216
Number 5: Jefferson County
Recreational: $1,311,680
Medical: $514,607
Total: $1,826,287
Number 4: El Paso County
Recreational: N/A
Medical: $2,736,640
Total: $2,736,640
Number 3: Boulder County
Recreational: $1,937,870
Medical: $802,753
Total: $2,740,623
Number 2: Arapahoe County
Recreational: $2,757,236
Medical: $502,632
Total: $3,259,868
Number 1: Denver County
Recreational: $8,231,484
Medical: $5,898,273
Total: $14,129,757
All Counties Total
$34,988,901
Keep Westword Free... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Denver with no paywalls.
