Colorado Springs, CO vs Pueblo, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Pueblo, CO spends 25% more per resident than Colorado Springs, CO: $16,547 against $13,222. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Colorado Springs, CO edges Pueblo, CO on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 59/100 (grade C) to 53/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Pueblo, CO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Colorado Springs, CO carries $3,063 per resident. 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 Pueblo, CO at $283.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Colorado Springs, CO and 126% in Pueblo, CO.
Summary
Pueblo spends 20.1% more per capita than Colorado Springs ($3,325/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 | $42 |
| Sales Tax | $257 | $115 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,902 | $11,588 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,676 | $0 |
| Other | $2,678 | $1,069 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $12 |
| Fire Protection | $1,266 | $283 |
| Public Welfare | $575 | $694 |
| Hospitals | $416 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $376 | $88 |
| Housing | $2,713 | $3,814 |
| Utilities | $2,566 | $3,526 |
| Interest on Debt | $190 | $0 |
| Other | $5,120 | $8,130 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.