Colorado Springs, CO vs Austin, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Austin, TX outspends Colorado Springs, CO by a wide margin per resident — $21,772 versus $13,222, a 65% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 59/100 (grade C) for Colorado Springs, CO — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Austin, TX carries the lighter load at $1,229 per resident versus $3,063 for Colorado Springs, CO. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Colorado Springs, CO leads with fire protection at $1,266 per resident, while Austin, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,801.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Colorado Springs, CO and 18% in Austin, TX.
Summary
Austin spends 39.3% more per capita than Colorado Springs ($8,550/person difference). Austin, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $257 | $526 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,465 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,902 | $14,031 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,676 | $3,247 |
| Other | $2,678 | $5,645 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,266 | $634 |
| Education | $0 | $51 |
| Public Welfare | $575 | $1,837 |
| Health | $0 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $416 | $664 |
| Parks & Recreation | $376 | $1,801 |
| Housing | $2,713 | $3,741 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $865 |
| Utilities | $2,566 | $3,264 |
| Interest on Debt | $190 | $0 |
| Other | $5,120 | $8,399 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.