Colorado Springs, CO vs Washington, DC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Colorado Springs, CO by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $13,222, a 1740% 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 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Washington, DC carries the lighter load at $2,516 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 Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Colorado Springs, CO and 7% in Washington, DC.
Summary
Washington spends 94.6% more per capita than Colorado Springs ($230,118/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 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $257 | $991 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $141 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,902 | $18,754 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,676 | $4,070 |
| Other | $2,678 | $11,518 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $4,183 |
| Fire Protection | $1,266 | $4,262 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $1,435 |
| Education | $0 | $53,224 |
| Public Welfare | $575 | $2,498 |
| Health | $0 | $1,009 |
| Hospitals | $416 | $17,668 |
| Parks & Recreation | $376 | $5,459 |
| Housing | $2,713 | $10,296 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $2,881 |
| Utilities | $2,566 | $88,990 |
| Interest on Debt | $190 | $58 |
| General Admin | $0 | $3,225 |
| Other | $5,120 | $48,155 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.