Denver, CO vs Omaha, NE
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO outspends Omaha, NE by a wide margin per resident — $33,582 versus $11,180, a 200% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Omaha, NE holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 51/100 (grade C) for Denver, CO — a 39-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Omaha, NE 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 Omaha, NE at $742.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Denver, CO at 37% of total revenue, whereas Omaha, NE relies most on other revenue at 17%.
Summary
Denver spends 200.4% more per capita than Omaha ($22,402/person difference). Omaha, NE has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $624 |
| Sales Tax | $2,070 | $373 |
| Income Tax | $236 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $44,661 | $2,622 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,207 | $0 |
| Other | $10,100 | $4,672 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,455 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,668 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $475 | $319 |
| Education | $821 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $764 | $1,521 |
| Health | $693 | $456 |
| Hospitals | $2,855 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,319 | $742 |
| Housing | $3,565 | $3,045 |
| Sewerage | $293 | $0 |
| Utilities | $4,292 | $581 |
| Interest on Debt | $7 | $0 |
| General Admin | $364 | $0 |
| Other | $12,011 | $4,516 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.