Aurora, CO vs Lakewood, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Aurora, CO outspends Lakewood, CO by a wide margin per resident — $17,400 versus $10,295, a 69% 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 56/100 (grade C) for Lakewood, CO — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Lakewood, CO carries the lighter load at $1 per resident versus $4,017 for Aurora, 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 Lakewood, CO at $2,250.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Aurora, CO at 17% of total revenue, whereas Lakewood, CO relies most on other revenue at 167%.
Summary
Aurora spends 69.0% more per capita than Lakewood ($7,104/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 | $897 |
| Intergovernmental | $825 | $1,276 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,728 | $82 |
| Other | $2,042 | $2,128 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $785 | $205 |
| Public Welfare | $1,001 | $1,061 |
| Health | $185 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $678 | $70 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,299 | $2,250 |
| Housing | $3,493 | $3,750 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $176 |
| Utilities | $1,978 | $79 |
| Other | $7,981 | $2,705 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.