Pueblo, CO vs Fort Collins, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fort Collins, CO spends 58% more per resident than Pueblo, CO: $26,163 against $16,547. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Pueblo, CO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 53/100 (grade C) against 44/100 (grade D) for Fort Collins, CO — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Pueblo, CO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Fort Collins, CO carries $318 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Pueblo, CO leads with fire protection at $283 per resident, while Fort Collins, CO leads with highways and roads at $2,411.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 126% of total revenue in Pueblo, CO and 100% in Fort Collins, CO.
Summary
Fort Collins spends 36.8% more per capita than Pueblo ($9,616/person difference). Pueblo, CO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 53/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $42 | $620 |
| Sales Tax | $115 | $618 |
| Intergovernmental | $11,588 | $13,229 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,187 |
| Other | $1,069 | $3,358 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $12 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $283 | $323 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $2,411 |
| Education | $0 | $49 |
| Public Welfare | $694 | $2,292 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,022 |
| Parks & Recreation | $88 | $2,355 |
| Housing | $3,814 | $3,104 |
| Utilities | $3,526 | $5,637 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $3,129 |
| Other | $8,130 | $5,843 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.