Nova55Living › Fort Collins / Northern CO › Colorado Senior Homestead Exemption Guide
Including the 2025 in-state move portability change · Verified against Colorado General Assembly sources
Colorado’s Senior Homestead Exemption reduces property tax by exempting 50% of the first $200,000 of a home’s actual value for qualifying owners. At Larimer County’s ~0.56% effective rate, that saves roughly $560/year — or about $47/month. Here is everything you need to know, including a 2025 change that affects in-state movers.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Age | 65 or older as of January 1 of the year you apply |
| Ownership | Must have owned and occupied the property as your primary residence for at least 10 consecutive years |
| Primary Residence | Must be your primary Colorado residence; cannot claim exemption on a second home or investment property |
| One Exemption | Only one exemption per household; couples filing jointly share a single exemption |
| Surviving Spouse | Surviving spouses of qualifying owners may continue to receive the exemption |
Before 2025: if a qualifying senior sold their Colorado home to move elsewhere in Colorado, they lost the Senior Homestead Exemption entirely. They would have to restart the 10-year ownership clock at the new property — meaning they’d wait until age 75 or 80 to re-qualify if they moved in their late 60s.
Starting with the 2025 tax year: homeowners who moved within Colorado between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2024 are allowed to carry forward their prior years of qualifying residence. If you had 8 years of qualifying residence in your Boulder home and moved to Sonders Fort Collins in 2022, you may now be able to apply for the exemption in 2025 or 2026 rather than waiting until 2032.
This is specifically relevant for: Colorado residents who moved to a Northern Colorado 55+ community between 2020 and 2024 and previously assumed they had forfeited their exemption. Verify your specific situation with Larimer County Assessor before applying.
| Home Value | Without Exemption (est.) | With Exemption (est.) | Annual Savings | Monthly Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $340K (Lakeshore / Avenida) | ~$1,904/yr | ~$1,344/yr | ~$560 | ~$47 |
| $633K (MacKenzie Place avg) | ~$3,545/yr | ~$2,985/yr | ~$560 | ~$47 |
| $720K (Sonders typical) | ~$4,032/yr | ~$3,472/yr | ~$560 | ~$47 |
| $900K (Lakes at Centerra high end) | ~$5,040/yr | ~$4,480/yr | ~$560 | ~$47 |
Note: The exemption is a flat $560/year savings at ~0.56% regardless of home value above $200K, because it only applies to the first $200K of actual value. At lower home values (< $200K), the savings are proportionally smaller.
Veterans with a 100% permanent VA disability rating receive a complete property tax exemption — zero property tax on their primary residence regardless of value. This is separate from the Senior Homestead Exemption and applies at any age. If you qualify for VA 100% disability, apply for that exemption (not the Senior Homestead Exemption) as it is a far larger benefit.