Greeley, CO vs Thornton, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Greeley, CO spends 20% more per resident than Thornton, CO: $17,366 against $14,462. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Thornton, CO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 54/100 (grade C) against 42/100 (grade D) for Greeley, CO — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Thornton, CO carries the lighter load at $1,221 per resident versus $1,247 for Greeley, CO. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Greeley, CO at $1,832 per resident and in Thornton, CO at $1,969.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 76% of total revenue in Greeley, CO and 100% in Thornton, CO.
Summary
Greeley spends 20.1% more per capita than Thornton ($2,905/person difference). Thornton, CO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 54/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $79 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $982 | $530 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $420 |
| Intergovernmental | $10,897 | $17,658 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,308 | $4,216 |
| Other | $2,069 | $1,541 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $427 |
| Highways & Roads | $291 | $411 |
| Education | $1 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $712 | $899 |
| Hospitals | $733 | $173 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,832 | $1,969 |
| Housing | $3,047 | $3,363 |
| Sewerage | $97 | $159 |
| Utilities | $4,341 | $3,118 |
| Interest on Debt | $893 | $0 |
| Other | $5,418 | $3,943 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.