Denver, CO vs Lakewood, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO outspends Lakewood, CO by a wide margin per resident — $33,582 versus $10,295, a 226% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Lakewood, CO 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, Lakewood, CO carries the lighter load at $1 per resident versus $5,126 for Denver, CO. 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 Lakewood, CO at $2,250.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Denver, CO at 37% of total revenue, whereas Lakewood, CO relies most on other revenue at 167%.
Summary
Denver spends 226.2% more per capita than Lakewood ($23,287/person difference). Lakewood, CO 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 | $897 |
| Income Tax | $236 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $44,661 | $1,276 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,207 | $82 |
| Other | $10,100 | $2,128 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,455 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,668 | $205 |
| Highways & Roads | $475 | $0 |
| Education | $821 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $764 | $1,061 |
| Health | $693 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,855 | $70 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,319 | $2,250 |
| Housing | $3,565 | $3,750 |
| Sewerage | $293 | $176 |
| Utilities | $4,292 | $79 |
| Interest on Debt | $7 | $0 |
| General Admin | $364 | $0 |
| Other | $12,011 | $2,705 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.