Colorado Springs, CO vs Columbus, OH
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Columbus, OH spends 43% more per resident than Colorado Springs, CO: $18,858 against $13,222. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Colorado Springs, CO edges Columbus, OH on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 59/100 (grade C) to 52/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Columbus, OH carries the lighter load at $1,145 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 Columbus, OH leads with parks and recreation at $2,168.
Summary
Columbus spends 29.9% more per capita than Colorado Springs ($5,636/person difference). Colorado Springs, CO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 59/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $257 | $234 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,902 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,676 | $2,389 |
| Other | $2,678 | $5,248 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,266 | $1,016 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $224 |
| Public Welfare | $575 | $878 |
| Hospitals | $416 | $953 |
| Parks & Recreation | $376 | $2,168 |
| Housing | $2,713 | $4,303 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $1 |
| Utilities | $2,566 | $1,719 |
| Interest on Debt | $190 | $0 |
| Other | $5,120 | $7,595 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.