Denver, CO vs San Antonio, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $33,582 versus $16,943, a 98% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
San Antonio, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 68/100 (grade B) against 51/100 (grade C) for Denver, CO — a 17-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, San Antonio, TX carries the lighter load at $2,131 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 San Antonio, TX at $1,045.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 37% of total revenue in Denver, CO and 17% in San Antonio, TX.
Summary
Denver spends 98.2% more per capita than San Antonio ($16,640/person difference). San Antonio, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $2,070 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $236 | $1,000 |
| Intergovernmental | $44,661 | $14,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,207 | $4,025 |
| Other | $10,100 | $3,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,455 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,668 | $396 |
| Highways & Roads | $475 | $158 |
| Education | $821 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $764 | $1,188 |
| Health | $693 | $293 |
| Hospitals | $2,855 | $993 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,319 | $1,045 |
| Housing | $3,565 | $3,570 |
| Sewerage | $293 | $100 |
| Utilities | $4,292 | $3,826 |
| Interest on Debt | $7 | $0 |
| General Admin | $364 | $0 |
| Other | $12,011 | $5,352 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.