Denver, CO vs Jacksonville, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO and Jacksonville, FL spend within 6.8% of each other per resident — $33,582 versus $31,456 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Jacksonville, FL edges Denver, CO on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 53/100 (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, Jacksonville, FL carries the lighter load at $2,821 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 Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 37% of total revenue in Denver, CO and 14% in Jacksonville, FL.
Summary
Denver spends 6.8% more per capita than Jacksonville ($2,126/person difference). Jacksonville, FL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 53/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $2,070 | $233 |
| Income Tax | $236 | $762 |
| Intergovernmental | $44,661 | $7,348 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,207 | $2,119 |
| Other | $10,100 | $4,705 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,455 | $18 |
| Fire Protection | $1,668 | $9,436 |
| Highways & Roads | $475 | $0 |
| Education | $821 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $764 | $486 |
| Health | $693 | $332 |
| Hospitals | $2,855 | $557 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,319 | $1,329 |
| Housing | $3,565 | $5,572 |
| Sewerage | $293 | $176 |
| Utilities | $4,292 | $1,835 |
| Interest on Debt | $7 | $1,942 |
| General Admin | $364 | $0 |
| Other | $12,011 | $9,771 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.