San Francisco, CA vs Denver, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Francisco, CA outspends Denver, CO by a wide margin per resident — $184,131 versus $33,582, a 448% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Denver, CO edges San Francisco, CA on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 51/100 (grade C) to 48/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, San Francisco, CA carries the lighter load at $2,031 per resident versus $5,126 for Denver, CO. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in San Francisco, CA at $4,119 per resident and in Denver, CO at $3,319.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in San Francisco, CA and 37% in Denver, CO.
Summary
San Francisco spends 448.3% more per capita than Denver ($150,549/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)
| Property Tax | $148 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $3,028 | $2,070 |
| Income Tax | $269 | $236 |
| Intergovernmental | $19,762 | $44,661 |
| Charges & Fees | $7,961 | $5,207 |
| Other | $18,918 | $10,100 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,351 | $2,455 |
| Fire Protection | $2,281 | $1,668 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $475 |
| Education | $0 | $821 |
| Public Welfare | $2,203 | $764 |
| Health | $1,911 | $693 |
| Hospitals | $6,939 | $2,855 |
| Parks & Recreation | $4,119 | $3,319 |
| Housing | $9,315 | $3,565 |
| Sewerage | $1,423 | $293 |
| Utilities | $21,190 | $4,292 |
| Interest on Debt | $22,798 | $7 |
| General Admin | $14,899 | $364 |
| Other | $93,702 | $12,011 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.