Denver, CO vs Las Vegas, NV
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $33,582 versus $9,085, a 270% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 51/100 (grade C) for Denver, CO — a 31-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Las Vegas, NV reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Denver, CO carries $5,126 per resident. 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 Las Vegas, NV at $1,028.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Denver, CO at 37% of total revenue, whereas Las Vegas, NV relies most on other revenue at 34%.
Summary
Denver spends 269.6% more per capita than Las Vegas ($24,497/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $50 |
| Sales Tax | $2,070 | $386 |
| Income Tax | $236 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $44,661 | $1,137 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,207 | $0 |
| Other | $10,100 | $2,806 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,455 | $945 |
| Fire Protection | $1,668 | $280 |
| Highways & Roads | $475 | $45 |
| Education | $821 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $764 | $705 |
| Health | $693 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,855 | $356 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,319 | $1,028 |
| Housing | $3,565 | $23 |
| Sewerage | $293 | $332 |
| Utilities | $4,292 | $129 |
| Interest on Debt | $7 | $0 |
| General Admin | $364 | $0 |
| Other | $12,011 | $5,243 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.