Minneapolis, MN vs Denver, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO spends 53% more per resident than Minneapolis, MN: $33,582 against $21,910. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Minneapolis, MN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 51/100 (grade C) for Denver, CO — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Minneapolis, MN carries the lighter load at $644 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 Minneapolis, MN at $3,486 per resident and in Denver, CO at $3,319.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Minneapolis, MN at 17% of total revenue, whereas Denver, CO relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 37%.
Summary
Denver spends 34.8% more per capita than Minneapolis ($11,672/person difference). Minneapolis, MN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,989 | $2,070 |
| Income Tax | $994 | $236 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,929 | $44,661 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,040 | $5,207 |
| Other | $3,254 | $10,100 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,455 |
| Fire Protection | $683 | $1,668 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $475 |
| Education | $0 | $821 |
| Public Welfare | $1,500 | $764 |
| Health | $0 | $693 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $2,855 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,486 | $3,319 |
| Housing | $4,133 | $3,565 |
| Sewerage | $570 | $293 |
| Utilities | $2,398 | $4,292 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $7 |
| General Admin | $0 | $364 |
| Other | $8,919 | $12,011 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.