Denver, CO vs Albuquerque, NM
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO outspends Albuquerque, NM by a wide margin per resident — $33,582 versus $17,237, a 95% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Albuquerque, NM holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 81/100 (grade A) against 51/100 (grade C) for Denver, CO — a 30-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Albuquerque, NM carries the lighter load at $613 per resident versus $5,126 for Denver, CO. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Denver, CO at $3,319 per resident and in Albuquerque, NM at $1,990.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Denver, CO at 37% of total revenue, whereas Albuquerque, NM relies most on charges and fees at 11%.
Summary
Denver spends 94.8% more per capita than Albuquerque ($16,345/person difference). Albuquerque, NM has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 81/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $36 |
| Sales Tax | $2,070 | $355 |
| Income Tax | $236 | $1,580 |
| Intergovernmental | $44,661 | $1,897 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,207 | $2,633 |
| Other | $10,100 | $2,174 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,455 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,668 | $440 |
| Highways & Roads | $475 | $172 |
| Education | $821 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $764 | $419 |
| Health | $693 | $291 |
| Hospitals | $2,855 | $328 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,319 | $1,990 |
| Housing | $3,565 | $4,080 |
| Sewerage | $293 | $0 |
| Utilities | $4,292 | $5,212 |
| Interest on Debt | $7 | $1,096 |
| General Admin | $364 | $0 |
| Other | $12,011 | $3,209 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.