Houston, TX vs Denver, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO outspends Houston, TX by a wide margin per resident — $33,582 versus $14,400, a 133% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Houston, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 51/100 (grade C) for Denver, CO — a 32-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Houston, TX carries the lighter load at $863 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 Houston, TX at $361 per resident and in Denver, CO at $3,319.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Houston, TX at 7% of total revenue, whereas Denver, CO relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 37%.
Summary
Denver spends 57.1% more per capita than Houston ($19,182/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $181 | $2,070 |
| Income Tax | $39 | $236 |
| Intergovernmental | $33 | $44,661 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,475 | $5,207 |
| Other | $3,960 | $10,100 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,455 |
| Fire Protection | $295 | $1,668 |
| Highways & Roads | $175 | $475 |
| Education | $0 | $821 |
| Public Welfare | $533 | $764 |
| Health | $210 | $693 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $2,855 |
| Parks & Recreation | $361 | $3,319 |
| Housing | $4,288 | $3,565 |
| Sewerage | $386 | $293 |
| Utilities | $1,339 | $4,292 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $7 |
| General Admin | $0 | $364 |
| Other | $6,301 | $12,011 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.