Colorado Springs, CO vs Thornton, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Thornton, CO and Colorado Springs, CO spend within 9.4% of each other per resident — $14,462 versus $13,222 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Colorado Springs, CO edges Thornton, CO on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 59/100 (grade C) to 54/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Thornton, CO carries the lighter load at $1,221 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 Thornton, CO leads with parks and recreation at $1,969.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Colorado Springs, CO and 100% in Thornton, CO.
Summary
Thornton spends 8.6% more per capita than Colorado Springs ($1,239/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 | $530 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $420 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,902 | $17,658 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,676 | $4,216 |
| Other | $2,678 | $1,541 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,266 | $427 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $411 |
| Public Welfare | $575 | $899 |
| Hospitals | $416 | $173 |
| Parks & Recreation | $376 | $1,969 |
| Housing | $2,713 | $3,363 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $159 |
| Utilities | $2,566 | $3,118 |
| Interest on Debt | $190 | $0 |
| Other | $5,120 | $3,943 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.