Boston, MA vs Denver, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Denver, CO by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $33,582, a 115% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Boston, MA edges Denver, CO on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 56/100 (grade C) to 51/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Boston, MA carries the lighter load at $445 per resident versus $5,126 for Denver, CO. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Boston, MA leads with education at $30,742 per resident, while Denver, CO leads with parks and recreation at $3,319.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in Boston, MA and 37% in Denver, CO.
Summary
Boston spends 115.3% more per capita than Denver ($38,716/person difference). Boston, MA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 56/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $78 | $2,070 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $236 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,357 | $44,661 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,784 | $5,207 |
| Other | $4,557 | $10,100 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,455 |
| Fire Protection | $1,107 | $1,668 |
| Highways & Roads | $594 | $475 |
| Education | $30,742 | $821 |
| Public Welfare | $1,110 | $764 |
| Health | $725 | $693 |
| Hospitals | $2,584 | $2,855 |
| Parks & Recreation | $711 | $3,319 |
| Housing | $6,614 | $3,565 |
| Sewerage | $355 | $293 |
| Utilities | $3,402 | $4,292 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $7 |
| General Admin | $5,401 | $364 |
| Other | $18,955 | $12,011 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.