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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Pueblo, CO vs Colorado Springs, CO

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Pueblo, CO spends 25% more per resident than Colorado Springs, CO: $16,547 against $13,222. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.

Colorado Springs, CO edges Pueblo, CO on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 59/100 (grade C) to 53/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.

Pueblo, CO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Colorado Springs, CO carries $3,063 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Pueblo, CO at $283 per resident and in Colorado Springs, CO at $1,266.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 126% of total revenue in Pueblo, CO and 13% in Colorado Springs, CO.

Summary

Pueblo spends 25.1% more per capita than Colorado Springs ($3,325/person difference). Colorado Springs, CO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 59/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Pueblo, CO
Pop. 111,430
C
53/100
Budget Balance1
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency82
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Colorado Springs, CO
Pop. 479,612
C
59/100
Budget Balance54
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Pueblo
Colorado Springs
Total Spending
$1.8B
$6.3B
Spending / Capita
$16,547
$13,222
Total Revenue
$1.0B
$25.3B
Revenue / Capita
$9,168
$52,777
Total Debt
$0
$1.5B
Debt / Capita
$0
$3,063
Population
111,430
479,612
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Pueblo$12
Colorado Springs$0
Fire Protection
Pueblo$283
Colorado Springs$1,266
Parks & Recreation
Pueblo$88
Colorado Springs$376

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

PuebloColorado Springs
Property Tax
$42
$0
Sales Tax
$115
$257
Intergovernmental
$11,588
$6,902
Charges & Fees
$0
$5,676
Other
$1,069
$2,678

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

PuebloColorado Springs
Police
$12
$0
Fire Protection
$283
$1,266
Public Welfare
$694
$575
Hospitals
$0
$416
Parks & Recreation
$88
$376
Housing
$3,814
$2,713
Utilities
$3,526
$2,566
Interest on Debt
$0
$190
Other
$8,130
$5,120
C
Pueblo, CO
Fiscal Health Score: 53/100
Average fiscal health
C
Colorado Springs, CO
Fiscal Health Score: 59/100
Average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.