Aurora, CO vs Pueblo, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Aurora, CO and Pueblo, CO spend within 5.2% of each other per resident — $17,400 versus $16,547 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Aurora, CO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 66/100 (grade B) against 53/100 (grade C) for Pueblo, CO — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Pueblo, CO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Aurora, CO carries $4,017 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Aurora, CO leads with parks and recreation at $1,299 per resident, while Pueblo, CO leads with fire protection at $283.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Aurora, CO at 17% of total revenue, whereas Pueblo, CO relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 126%.
Summary
Aurora spends 5.2% more per capita than Pueblo ($853/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)
| Property Tax | $0 | $42 |
| Sales Tax | $303 | $115 |
| Intergovernmental | $825 | $11,588 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,728 | $0 |
| Other | $2,042 | $1,069 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $12 |
| Fire Protection | $785 | $283 |
| Public Welfare | $1,001 | $694 |
| Health | $185 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $678 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,299 | $88 |
| Housing | $3,493 | $3,814 |
| Utilities | $1,978 | $3,526 |
| Other | $7,981 | $8,130 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.