Aurora, CO vs Centennial, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Aurora, CO outspends Centennial, CO by a wide margin per resident — $17,400 versus $54, a 32199% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Centennial, CO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 66/100 (grade B) for Aurora, CO — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Centennial, CO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Aurora, CO carries $4,017 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Aurora, CO at $1,299 per resident and in Centennial, CO at $54.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Aurora, CO at 17% of total revenue, whereas Centennial, CO relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Aurora spends 32199.4% more per capita than Centennial ($17,346/person difference). Centennial, CO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $303 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $825 | $243 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,728 | $0 |
| Other | $2,042 | $0 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $785 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,001 | $0 |
| Health | $185 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $678 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,299 | $54 |
| Housing | $3,493 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,978 | $0 |
| Other | $7,981 | $0 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.