Denver, CO vs Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO spends 32% more per resident than Atlanta, GA: $33,582 against $25,457. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 51/100 (grade C) for Denver, CO — a 34-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Denver, CO carries $5,126 per resident. 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 Atlanta, GA at $1,274.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 37% of total revenue in Denver, CO and 6% in Atlanta, GA.
Summary
Denver spends 31.9% more per capita than Atlanta ($8,125/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $419 |
| Sales Tax | $2,070 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $236 | $1,292 |
| Intergovernmental | $44,661 | $9,121 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,207 | $5,645 |
| Other | $10,100 | $5,461 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,455 | $315 |
| Fire Protection | $1,668 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $475 | $513 |
| Education | $821 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $764 | $1,587 |
| Health | $693 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,855 | $55 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,319 | $1,274 |
| Housing | $3,565 | $4,594 |
| Sewerage | $293 | $343 |
| Utilities | $4,292 | $8,026 |
| Interest on Debt | $7 | $0 |
| General Admin | $364 | $0 |
| Other | $12,011 | $8,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.