Denver, CO vs Baltimore, MD
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD outspends Denver, CO by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $33,582, a 102% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Baltimore, MD holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 51/100 (grade C) for Denver, CO — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Baltimore, MD reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Denver, CO carries $5,126 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Denver, CO leads with parks and recreation at $3,319 per resident, while Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 37% of total revenue in Denver, CO and 7% in Baltimore, MD.
Summary
Baltimore spends 50.6% more per capita than Denver ($34,353/person difference). Baltimore, MD has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $84 |
| Sales Tax | $2,070 | $55 |
| Income Tax | $236 | $375 |
| Intergovernmental | $44,661 | $5,085 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,207 | $2,192 |
| Other | $10,100 | $4,765 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,455 | $820 |
| Fire Protection | $1,668 | $1,214 |
| Highways & Roads | $475 | $676 |
| Education | $821 | $35,510 |
| Public Welfare | $764 | $714 |
| Health | $693 | $757 |
| Hospitals | $2,855 | $1,877 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,319 | $384 |
| Housing | $3,565 | $4,087 |
| Sewerage | $293 | $87 |
| Utilities | $4,292 | $3,809 |
| Interest on Debt | $7 | $0 |
| General Admin | $364 | $19 |
| Other | $12,011 | $17,981 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.