Fort Collins, CO vs Denver, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO spends 28% more per resident than Fort Collins, CO: $33,582 against $26,163. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Denver, CO edges Fort Collins, CO on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 51/100 (grade C) to 44/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Fort Collins, CO carries the lighter load at $318 per resident versus $5,126 for Denver, CO. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fort Collins, CO leads with highways and roads at $2,411 per resident, while Denver, CO leads with parks and recreation at $3,319.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Fort Collins, CO and 37% in Denver, CO.
Summary
Denver spends 22.1% more per capita than Fort Collins ($7,419/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 | $620 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $618 | $2,070 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $236 |
| Intergovernmental | $13,229 | $44,661 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,187 | $5,207 |
| Other | $3,358 | $10,100 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,455 |
| Fire Protection | $323 | $1,668 |
| Highways & Roads | $2,411 | $475 |
| Education | $49 | $821 |
| Public Welfare | $2,292 | $764 |
| Health | $0 | $693 |
| Hospitals | $1,022 | $2,855 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,355 | $3,319 |
| Housing | $3,104 | $3,565 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $293 |
| Utilities | $5,637 | $4,292 |
| Interest on Debt | $3,129 | $7 |
| General Admin | $0 | $364 |
| Other | $5,843 | $12,011 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.