Atlanta, GA vs Denver, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO spends 32% more per resident than Atlanta, GA: $33,582 against $25,457. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 51/100 (grade C) for Denver, CO — a 34-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Denver, CO carries $5,126 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Atlanta, GA at $1,274 per resident and in Denver, CO at $3,319.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 6% of total revenue in Atlanta, GA and 37% in Denver, CO.
Summary
Denver spends 24.2% more per capita than Atlanta ($8,125/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $419 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $2,070 |
| Income Tax | $1,292 | $236 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,121 | $44,661 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,645 | $5,207 |
| Other | $5,461 | $10,100 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $315 | $2,455 |
| Fire Protection | $464 | $1,668 |
| Highways & Roads | $513 | $475 |
| Education | $25 | $821 |
| Public Welfare | $1,587 | $764 |
| Health | $0 | $693 |
| Hospitals | $55 | $2,855 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,274 | $3,319 |
| Housing | $4,594 | $3,565 |
| Sewerage | $343 | $293 |
| Utilities | $8,026 | $4,292 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $7 |
| General Admin | $0 | $364 |
| Other | $8,262 | $12,011 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.