Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY vs Denver, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO outspends Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY by a wide margin per resident — $33,582 versus $20,200, a 66% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Denver, CO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 51/100 (grade C) against 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY carries the lighter load at $3,553 per resident versus $5,126 for Denver, CO. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY leads with fire protection at $1,132 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 Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY at 103% of total revenue, whereas Denver, CO relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 37%.
Summary
Denver spends 39.8% more per capita than Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) ($13,382/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)
| Sales Tax | $1,138 | $2,070 |
| Income Tax | $24 | $236 |
| Intergovernmental | $412 | $44,661 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,823 | $5,207 |
| Other | $8,878 | $10,100 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $701 | $2,455 |
| Fire Protection | $1,132 | $1,668 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $475 |
| Education | $956 | $821 |
| Public Welfare | $1,849 | $764 |
| Health | $379 | $693 |
| Hospitals | $779 | $2,855 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,070 | $3,319 |
| Housing | $2,382 | $3,565 |
| Sewerage | $249 | $293 |
| Utilities | $3,844 | $4,292 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,517 | $7 |
| General Admin | $0 | $364 |
| Other | $5,344 | $12,011 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.