Denver, CO vs Dallas, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX and Denver, CO spend within 3.8% of each other per resident — $34,849 versus $33,582 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Dallas, TX edges Denver, CO on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 57/100 (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.
Dallas, TX 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 Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 37% of total revenue in Denver, CO and 22% in Dallas, TX.
Summary
Dallas spends 3.6% more per capita than Denver ($1,267/person difference). Dallas, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 57/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $2,070 | $25 |
| Income Tax | $236 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $44,661 | $1,223 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,207 | $0 |
| Other | $10,100 | $584 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,455 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $1,668 | $305 |
| Highways & Roads | $475 | $201 |
| Education | $821 | $62 |
| Public Welfare | $764 | $215 |
| Health | $693 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,855 | $385 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,319 | $0 |
| Housing | $3,565 | $444 |
| Sewerage | $293 | $0 |
| Utilities | $4,292 | $833 |
| Interest on Debt | $7 | $0 |
| General Admin | $364 | $25,827 |
| Other | $12,011 | $5,059 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.