Lakewood, CO vs Pueblo, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Pueblo, CO outspends Lakewood, CO by a wide margin per resident — $16,547 versus $10,295, a 61% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Lakewood, CO edges Pueblo, CO on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 56/100 (grade C) to 53/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Pueblo, CO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Lakewood, CO carries $1 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Lakewood, CO leads with parks and recreation at $2,250 per resident, while Pueblo, CO leads with fire protection at $283.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Lakewood, CO at 167% of total revenue, whereas Pueblo, CO relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 126%.
Summary
Pueblo spends 37.8% more per capita than Lakewood ($6,251/person difference). Lakewood, CO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 56/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $42 |
| Sales Tax | $897 | $115 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,276 | $11,588 |
| Charges & Fees | $82 | $0 |
| Other | $2,128 | $1,069 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $12 |
| Fire Protection | $205 | $283 |
| Public Welfare | $1,061 | $694 |
| Hospitals | $70 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,250 | $88 |
| Housing | $3,750 | $3,814 |
| Sewerage | $176 | $0 |
| Utilities | $79 | $3,526 |
| Other | $2,705 | $8,130 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.