Philadelphia, PA vs Denver, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Denver, CO by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $33,582, a 68% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Denver, CO edges Philadelphia, PA on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 51/100 (grade C) to 45/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Philadelphia, PA carries the lighter load at $1,069 per resident versus $5,126 for Denver, CO. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082 per resident, while Denver, CO leads with parks and recreation at $3,319.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 16% of total revenue in Philadelphia, PA and 37% in Denver, CO.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 67.6% more per capita than Denver ($22,690/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 | $107 | $2,070 |
| Income Tax | $8 | $236 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,288 | $44,661 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,790 | $5,207 |
| Other | $4,029 | $10,100 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,505 | $2,455 |
| Fire Protection | $7,082 | $1,668 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,215 | $475 |
| Education | $0 | $821 |
| Public Welfare | $1,456 | $764 |
| Health | $229 | $693 |
| Hospitals | $4,048 | $2,855 |
| Parks & Recreation | $593 | $3,319 |
| Housing | $4,902 | $3,565 |
| Sewerage | $325 | $293 |
| Utilities | $4,222 | $4,292 |
| Interest on Debt | $3 | $7 |
| General Admin | $0 | $364 |
| Other | $30,692 | $12,011 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.