Denver, CO vs Washington, DC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Denver, CO by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $33,582, a 625% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Denver, CO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 51/100 (grade C) against 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Washington, DC carries the lighter load at $2,516 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 Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 37% of total revenue in Denver, CO and 7% in Washington, DC.
Summary
Washington spends 86.2% more per capita than Denver ($209,759/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 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $2,070 | $991 |
| Income Tax | $236 | $141 |
| Intergovernmental | $44,661 | $18,754 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,207 | $4,070 |
| Other | $10,100 | $11,518 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,455 | $4,183 |
| Fire Protection | $1,668 | $4,262 |
| Highways & Roads | $475 | $1,435 |
| Education | $821 | $53,224 |
| Public Welfare | $764 | $2,498 |
| Health | $693 | $1,009 |
| Hospitals | $2,855 | $17,668 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,319 | $5,459 |
| Housing | $3,565 | $10,296 |
| Sewerage | $293 | $2,881 |
| Utilities | $4,292 | $88,990 |
| Interest on Debt | $7 | $58 |
| General Admin | $364 | $3,225 |
| Other | $12,011 | $48,155 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.