Denver, CO vs San Francisco, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Francisco, CA outspends Denver, CO by a wide margin per resident — $184,131 versus $33,582, a 448% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Denver, CO edges San Francisco, CA on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 51/100 (grade C) to 48/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, San Francisco, CA carries the lighter load at $2,031 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 Francisco, CA at $4,119.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 37% of total revenue in Denver, CO and 7% in San Francisco, CA.
Summary
San Francisco spends 81.8% more per capita than Denver ($150,549/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)
| Property Tax | $0 | $148 |
| Sales Tax | $2,070 | $3,028 |
| Income Tax | $236 | $269 |
| Intergovernmental | $44,661 | $19,762 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,207 | $7,961 |
| Other | $10,100 | $18,918 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,455 | $3,351 |
| Fire Protection | $1,668 | $2,281 |
| Highways & Roads | $475 | $0 |
| Education | $821 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $764 | $2,203 |
| Health | $693 | $1,911 |
| Hospitals | $2,855 | $6,939 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,319 | $4,119 |
| Housing | $3,565 | $9,315 |
| Sewerage | $293 | $1,423 |
| Utilities | $4,292 | $21,190 |
| Interest on Debt | $7 | $22,798 |
| General Admin | $364 | $14,899 |
| Other | $12,011 | $93,702 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.