Denver, CO vs Memphis, TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO spends 52% more per resident than Memphis, TN: $33,582 against $22,111. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Memphis, TN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 51/100 (grade C) for Denver, CO — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 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 Memphis, TN at $1,397.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 37% of total revenue in Denver, CO and 100% in Memphis, TN.
Summary
Denver spends 51.9% more per capita than Memphis ($11,471/person difference). Memphis, TN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $2,070 | $496 |
| Income Tax | $236 | $1,218 |
| Intergovernmental | $44,661 | $34,065 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,207 | $2,077 |
| Other | $10,100 | $3,994 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,455 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,668 | $469 |
| Highways & Roads | $475 | $277 |
| Education | $821 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $764 | $630 |
| Health | $693 | $391 |
| Hospitals | $2,855 | $1,677 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,319 | $1,397 |
| Housing | $3,565 | $4,683 |
| Sewerage | $293 | $0 |
| Utilities | $4,292 | $2,578 |
| Interest on Debt | $7 | $1,158 |
| General Admin | $364 | $0 |
| Other | $12,011 | $8,850 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.