Denver, CO vs Oklahoma City, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO outspends Oklahoma City, OK by a wide margin per resident — $33,582 versus $18,074, a 86% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oklahoma City, OK 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, Oklahoma City, OK carries the lighter load at $3,520 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 Oklahoma City, OK at $2,014.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 37% of total revenue in Denver, CO and 19% in Oklahoma City, OK.
Summary
Denver spends 85.8% more per capita than Oklahoma City ($15,509/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $2,070 | $763 |
| Income Tax | $236 | $1,037 |
| Intergovernmental | $44,661 | $6,852 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,207 | $3,256 |
| Other | $10,100 | $1,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,455 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,668 | $513 |
| Highways & Roads | $475 | $0 |
| Education | $821 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $764 | $1,525 |
| Health | $693 | $5 |
| Hospitals | $2,855 | $2,044 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,319 | $2,014 |
| Housing | $3,565 | $2,857 |
| Sewerage | $293 | $0 |
| Utilities | $4,292 | $4,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $7 | $707 |
| General Admin | $364 | $0 |
| Other | $12,011 | $3,886 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.