Colorado Springs, CO vs Philadelphia, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Colorado Springs, CO by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $13,222, a 326% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Colorado Springs, CO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 59/100 (grade C) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Philadelphia, PA carries the lighter load at $1,069 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 Philadelphia, PA at $7,082.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Colorado Springs, CO and 16% in Philadelphia, PA.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 76.5% more per capita than Colorado Springs ($43,050/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)
| Sales Tax | $257 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,902 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,676 | $2,790 |
| Other | $2,678 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $1,266 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $1,215 |
| Public Welfare | $575 | $1,456 |
| Health | $0 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $416 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $376 | $593 |
| Housing | $2,713 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $325 |
| Utilities | $2,566 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $190 | $3 |
| Other | $5,120 | $30,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.