Broomfield Property Tax on a $1M Home in 2026 (CA vs TX vs IL Comparison)

Last Updated: May 2026

A $1M home in Broomfield, Colorado costs roughly $5,000 to $5,500 a year in property tax. That's less than half of what you'd pay in California, less than 40 percent of what you'd pay in Texas, and a fraction of what Illinois charges. The Broomfield County assessor pegs the city's effective residential property tax rate at about 0.50 to 0.55 percent of market value, depending on which metro district your home sits in.

According to the Tax Foundation's 2025 state-by-state data, Colorado has the third-lowest effective property tax rate in the nation at 0.51 percent, behind only Hawaii and Alabama. In Broomfield, that rate translates to about $5,000 in annual property tax on a $1M home, before any metro district overlay. Texas averages 1.40 percent, California new-purchase buyers pay 1.10 to 1.25 percent, and Illinois sits at 2.08 percent statewide.

What You Actually Pay on a $1M Home in Broomfield

The math on a $1M Broomfield home is simpler than most relocators expect. Colorado uses a residential assessment rate, currently 6.7 percent for 2025 collections under SB24-233, applied to market value to get assessed value. That assessed value is then multiplied by the local mill levy.

For a base Broomfield neighborhood outside a metro district, that works out to about $5,000 a year. In Anthem Highlands, where the Highlands Metro District #2 adds roughly 40 mills on top of base levies, the same $1M home runs closer to $7,500 to $8,000 annually. In Baseline, metro district levies push effective rates similar to Anthem Highlands. The takeaway: always ask which metro district a home sits in before you pencil the monthly payment.

How California Buyers See the Difference

California buyers relocating to Broomfield typically save $5,500 to $7,000 a year in property tax on an equivalent purchase. Under Prop 13, your California property tax is locked at 1 percent of purchase price plus local bonds and assessments, usually landing buyers at 1.10 to 1.25 percent of what they paid. On a $1M home in Orange County, San Diego, or the Bay Area, that's $11,000 to $12,500 a year, and it goes up roughly 2 percent annually.

The catch most California transplants miss: that 1.25 percent rate is on the new purchase price, not the assessed value the prior owner had locked in. So a $1M Broomfield home at $5,000 a year property tax beats a $1M California home at $12,000 a year by $7,000 annually, every year you own it. Even after factoring in Colorado's 4.4 percent flat income tax, most California earners come out ahead.

How Texas Buyers See the Difference

Texas relocators are the most surprised group I work with. Texas advertises "no state income tax," but property taxes there run 1.40 percent on average and as high as 2.5 to 3.0 percent in newer Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin MUDs (Municipal Utility Districts). On a $1M home in Frisco, Plano, or Cedar Park, you're often paying $20,000 to $25,000 a year in property tax.

A $1M Broomfield home at $5,000 in property tax saves a Texas buyer $15,000 to $20,000 a year. Even with Colorado's 4.4 percent income tax, a household earning $250,000 pays $11,000 in state income tax and still nets $4,000 to $9,000 ahead versus their Texas tax bill. The MUD-versus-metro-district comparison is also relevant: Colorado metro districts typically cap at 50 mills, while Texas MUDs have no statutory cap.

How Illinois Buyers See the Difference

Illinois relocators see the biggest headline savings. Illinois has the second-highest effective property tax rate in the country at 2.08 percent, with Cook County and the collar counties (DuPage, Lake, Will) regularly billing 2.5 to 3.0 percent on suburban homes. A $1M Naperville or Hinsdale home routinely runs $25,000 to $30,000 a year in property tax.

Move that buyer to Broomfield and the same $1M home costs $5,000 to $5,500 a year, a swing of $20,000 to $25,000 annually. Illinois also has a 4.95 percent flat state income tax, nearly identical to Colorado's 4.4 percent, so the income tax wash is close to zero. The property tax delta is pure savings. This is why Illinois inbound migration to Broomfield County jumped sharply in the 2021 to 2022 IRS migration data and has continued through 2025.

Watch the Metro District

The single biggest mistake I see relocating buyers make is comparing list prices without comparing metro district overlays. Two homes listed at $1M in Broomfield can have property tax bills $2,500 to $3,000 a year apart depending on whether they sit in a metro district. Anthem Highlands and Baseline both have metro districts. Older Broomfield neighborhoods generally don't. Ask for the tax cert or pull the parcel on the Broomfield County assessor site before writing an offer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the property tax rate in Broomfield, Colorado? The effective property tax rate in Broomfield runs about 0.50 to 0.55 percent of market value, depending on the metro district. On a $1M home, that's roughly $5,000 to $5,500 a year.

Why is Broomfield property tax lower than Texas? Colorado has one of the lowest effective property tax rates in the country at about 0.50 percent statewide, while Texas averages 1.40 percent because it has no state income tax and funds schools primarily through property taxes.

Do Broomfield metro districts add significant property tax? Yes. Communities like Anthem Highlands and Baseline include metro district mill levies that can add 30 to 50 mills on top of base property tax, raising the effective rate from about 0.50 percent to 0.65 to 0.75 percent in those neighborhoods.

How does Broomfield property tax compare to California? California's Prop 13 caps reassessment at purchase price plus 2 percent annually, but new buyers pay roughly 1.10 to 1.25 percent of purchase price. A $1M Broomfield home costs about $5,500 in property tax versus $11,000 to $12,500 in most California counties.

Is property tax in Broomfield going up in 2026? Colorado's residential assessment rate was lowered for 2025 collections under SB24-233, providing modest relief on most Broomfield bills. Mill levies set by the city, county, and school district remain stable for 2026.