New York, NY vs Denver, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Denver, CO by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $33,582, a 284% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
New York, NY holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 51/100 (grade C) for Denver, CO — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, New York, NY carries the lighter load at $462 per resident versus $5,126 for Denver, CO. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: New York, NY leads with education at $37,892 per resident, while Denver, CO leads with parks and recreation at $3,319.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in New York, NY and 37% in Denver, CO.
Summary
New York spends 284.5% more per capita than Denver ($95,537/person difference). New York, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $399 | $2,070 |
| Income Tax | $19 | $236 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,520 | $44,661 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,835 | $5,207 |
| Other | $3,593 | $10,100 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,512 | $2,455 |
| Fire Protection | $11,050 | $1,668 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $475 |
| Education | $37,892 | $821 |
| Public Welfare | $1,116 | $764 |
| Health | $417 | $693 |
| Hospitals | $6,467 | $2,855 |
| Parks & Recreation | $868 | $3,319 |
| Housing | $7,137 | $3,565 |
| Sewerage | $315 | $293 |
| Utilities | $13,371 | $4,292 |
| Interest on Debt | $11,706 | $7 |
| General Admin | $11,668 | $364 |
| Other | $25,380 | $12,011 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.