Denver, CO vs Boston, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Denver, CO by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $33,582, a 115% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Boston, MA edges Denver, CO on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 56/100 (grade C) to 51/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Boston, MA carries the lighter load at $445 per resident versus $5,126 for Denver, CO. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Denver, CO leads with parks and recreation at $3,319 per resident, while Boston, MA leads with education at $30,742.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 37% of total revenue in Denver, CO and 17% in Boston, MA.
Summary
Boston spends 53.6% more per capita than Denver ($38,716/person difference). Boston, MA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 56/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $2,070 | $78 |
| Income Tax | $236 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $44,661 | $5,357 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,207 | $2,784 |
| Other | $10,100 | $4,557 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,455 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,668 | $1,107 |
| Highways & Roads | $475 | $594 |
| Education | $821 | $30,742 |
| Public Welfare | $764 | $1,110 |
| Health | $693 | $725 |
| Hospitals | $2,855 | $2,584 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,319 | $711 |
| Housing | $3,565 | $6,614 |
| Sewerage | $293 | $355 |
| Utilities | $4,292 | $3,402 |
| Interest on Debt | $7 | $0 |
| General Admin | $364 | $5,401 |
| Other | $12,011 | $18,955 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.