Colorado Springs, CO vs Portland, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portland, OR outspends Colorado Springs, CO by a wide margin per resident — $23,675 versus $13,222, a 79% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Portland, OR edges Colorado Springs, CO on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 63/100 (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, Portland, OR carries the lighter load at $1,574 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 Portland, OR leads with parks and recreation at $2,477.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Colorado Springs, CO and 19% in Portland, OR.
Summary
Portland spends 44.1% more per capita than Colorado Springs ($10,452/person difference). Portland, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $257 | $1,695 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $130 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,902 | $8,979 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,676 | $3,883 |
| Other | $2,678 | $7,916 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,266 | $1,700 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $139 |
| Public Welfare | $575 | $3,607 |
| Hospitals | $416 | $2,893 |
| Parks & Recreation | $376 | $2,477 |
| Housing | $2,713 | $3,694 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $630 |
| Utilities | $2,566 | $1,845 |
| Interest on Debt | $190 | $0 |
| Other | $5,120 | $6,689 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.