Oakland, CA vs Denver, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Denver, CO and Oakland, CA spend within 11.7% of each other per resident — $33,582 versus $30,055 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Oakland, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 72/100 (grade B) against 51/100 (grade C) for Denver, CO — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Oakland, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Denver, CO carries $5,126 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016 per resident, while Denver, CO leads with parks and recreation at $3,319.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Oakland, CA and 37% in Denver, CO.
Summary
Denver spends 10.5% more per capita than Oakland ($3,528/person difference). Oakland, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 72/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $522 | $2,070 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $236 |
| Intergovernmental | $42,277 | $44,661 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $5,207 |
| Other | $4,337 | $10,100 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,455 |
| Fire Protection | $1 | $1,668 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $475 |
| Education | $0 | $821 |
| Public Welfare | $2,426 | $764 |
| Health | $1,016 | $693 |
| Hospitals | $2,498 | $2,855 |
| Parks & Recreation | $955 | $3,319 |
| Housing | $7,811 | $3,565 |
| Sewerage | $1,417 | $293 |
| Utilities | $0 | $4,292 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $7 |
| General Admin | $0 | $364 |
| Other | $13,929 | $12,011 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.