Indianapolis city (balance), IN vs Denver, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Indianapolis city (balance), IN spends 37% more per resident than Denver, CO: $46,045 against $33,582. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Indianapolis city (balance), IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 74/100 (grade B) against 51/100 (grade C) for Denver, CO — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Indianapolis city (balance), IN carries the lighter load at $577 per resident versus $5,126 for Denver, CO. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Indianapolis city (balance), IN leads with police at $2,032 per resident, while Denver, CO leads with parks and recreation at $3,319.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Indianapolis city (balance), IN at 6% of total revenue, whereas Denver, CO relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 37%.
Summary
Indianapolis city (balance) spends 37.1% more per capita than Denver ($12,463/person difference). Indianapolis city (balance), IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 74/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $20 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $178 | $2,070 |
| Income Tax | $136 | $236 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,312 | $44,661 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,813 | $5,207 |
| Other | $4,675 | $10,100 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,032 | $2,455 |
| Fire Protection | $397 | $1,668 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $475 |
| Education | $0 | $821 |
| Public Welfare | $1,469 | $764 |
| Health | $0 | $693 |
| Hospitals | $2,453 | $2,855 |
| Parks & Recreation | $798 | $3,319 |
| Housing | $2,664 | $3,565 |
| Sewerage | $248 | $293 |
| Utilities | $2,227 | $4,292 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,381 | $7 |
| General Admin | $23,227 | $364 |
| Other | $9,149 | $12,011 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.