Colorado Springs, CO vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Colorado Springs, CO by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $13,222, a 161% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Chicago, IL edges Colorado Springs, CO on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 59/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Chicago, IL carries the lighter load at $977 per resident versus $3,063 for Colorado Springs, CO. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Colorado Springs, CO at $1,266 per resident and in Chicago, IL at $10,754.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Colorado Springs, CO and 100% in Chicago, IL.
Summary
Chicago spends 61.7% more per capita than Colorado Springs ($21,329/person difference). Chicago, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $257 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,902 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,676 | $2,847 |
| Other | $2,678 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,266 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $930 |
| Public Welfare | $575 | $1,858 |
| Health | $0 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $416 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $376 | $122 |
| Housing | $2,713 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $129 |
| Utilities | $2,566 | $2,983 |
| Interest on Debt | $190 | $0 |
| Other | $5,120 | $9,385 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.