Aurora, CO vs Denver, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO outspends Aurora, CO by a wide margin per resident — $33,582 versus $17,400, a 93% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Aurora, CO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 66/100 (grade B) against 51/100 (grade C) for Denver, CO — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Aurora, CO carries the lighter load at $4,017 per resident versus $5,126 for Denver, CO. 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 Denver, CO at $3,319.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Aurora, CO at 17% of total revenue, whereas Denver, CO relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 37%.
Summary
Denver spends 48.2% more per capita than Aurora ($16,182/person difference). Aurora, CO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 66/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $303 | $2,070 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $236 |
| Intergovernmental | $825 | $44,661 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,728 | $5,207 |
| Other | $2,042 | $10,100 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,455 |
| Fire Protection | $785 | $1,668 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $475 |
| Education | $0 | $821 |
| Public Welfare | $1,001 | $764 |
| Health | $185 | $693 |
| Hospitals | $678 | $2,855 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,299 | $3,319 |
| Housing | $3,493 | $3,565 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $293 |
| Utilities | $1,978 | $4,292 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $7 |
| General Admin | $0 | $364 |
| Other | $7,981 | $12,011 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.