Denver, CO vs Philadelphia, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Denver, CO by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $33,582, a 68% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Denver, CO edges Philadelphia, PA on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 51/100 (grade C) to 45/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Philadelphia, PA carries the lighter load at $1,069 per resident versus $5,126 for Denver, CO. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Denver, CO leads with parks and recreation at $3,319 per resident, while Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 37% of total revenue in Denver, CO and 16% in Philadelphia, PA.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 40.3% more per capita than Denver ($22,690/person difference). Denver, CO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 51/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $2,070 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $236 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $44,661 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,207 | $2,790 |
| Other | $10,100 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,455 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $1,668 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $475 | $1,215 |
| Education | $821 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $764 | $1,456 |
| Health | $693 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $2,855 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,319 | $593 |
| Housing | $3,565 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $293 | $325 |
| Utilities | $4,292 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $7 | $3 |
| General Admin | $364 | $0 |
| Other | $12,011 | $30,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.