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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Denver, CO

Population: 710,800 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

C
51/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$23.9B
Per Capita
$33,582
Total Revenue
$86.8B
Total Debt
$3.6B

Spending Breakdown

Other
35.8%$8.5B
Utilities
12.8%$3.1B
Housing & Community Development
10.6%$2.5B
Parks & Recreation
9.9%$2.4B
Hospitals
8.5%$2.0B
Police
7.3%$1.7B
Fire Protection
5.0%$1.2B
Education
2.4%$583.4M
Public Welfare
2.3%$543.3M
Health
2.1%$492.4M
Highways & Roads
1.4%$337.5M
General Administration
1.1%$258.7M
Sewerage
0.9%$208.0M
Interest on Debt
0.0%$5.3M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Sales Tax
1.7%$1.5B
Income Tax
0.2%$167.9M
Intergovernmental
36.6%$31.7B
Charges & Fees
4.3%$3.7B
Other
8.3%$7.2B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$2,455/person
Fire Protection$1,668/person
Highways & Roads$475/person
Parks & Recreation$3,319/person
Education$821/person
Health$693/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)68/100
Debt Burden (20%)0/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)26/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)99/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$3.6B
Long-Term Debt$1.5B
Debt Per Capita$5,126
Cash & Securities$285.9M

Compare Cities

See how Denver stacks up against another city.

vs Colorado Springs, COvs Aurora, COvs Fort Collins, CO
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Colorado

Colorado Springs, CO

Pop. 480K

C
Total Spending
$6.3B
Per Capita
$13,222

Aurora, CO

Pop. 387K

B
Total Spending
$6.7B
Per Capita
$17,400

Fort Collins, CO

Pop. 169K

D
Total Spending
$4.4B
Per Capita
$26,163

Lakewood, CO

Pop. 156K

C
Total Spending
$1.6B
Per Capita
$10,295

Compare Denver With

Colorado Springs, CO

Spending: $13,222/person · Grade: C

Aurora, CO

Spending: $17,400/person · Grade: B

Fort Collins, CO

Spending: $26,163/person · Grade: D

Lakewood, CO

Spending: $10,295/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Denver, CO spends $33,582 per resident, based on total expenditures of $23.9B for a population of 710,800. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (51/100).

Denver, CO has total expenditures of $23.9B and total revenue of $86.8B. The city carries $3.6B in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Denver, CO employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Denver, CO has a Fiscal Health Score of C (51/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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