Denver, CO vs Arlington, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO outspends Arlington, TX by a wide margin per resident — $33,582 versus $11,769, a 185% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Arlington, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 51/100 (grade C) for Denver, CO — a 32-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Arlington, TX carries the lighter load at $594 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 Arlington, TX at $1,352.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 37% of total revenue in Denver, CO and 41% in Arlington, TX.
Summary
Denver spends 185.3% more per capita than Arlington ($21,813/person difference). Arlington, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $2,070 | $507 |
| Income Tax | $236 | $73 |
| Intergovernmental | $44,661 | $25,062 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,207 | $2,949 |
| Other | $10,100 | $3,897 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,455 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,668 | $160 |
| Highways & Roads | $475 | $149 |
| Education | $821 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $764 | $826 |
| Health | $693 | $219 |
| Hospitals | $2,855 | $152 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,319 | $1,352 |
| Housing | $3,565 | $2,981 |
| Sewerage | $293 | $141 |
| Utilities | $4,292 | $1,385 |
| Interest on Debt | $7 | $0 |
| General Admin | $364 | $0 |
| Other | $12,011 | $4,404 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.