Thornton, CO vs Greeley, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Greeley, CO spends 20% more per resident than Thornton, CO: $17,366 against $14,462. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Thornton, CO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 54/100 (grade C) against 42/100 (grade D) for Greeley, CO — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Thornton, CO carries the lighter load at $1,221 per resident versus $1,247 for Greeley, CO. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Thornton, CO at $1,969 per resident and in Greeley, CO at $1,832.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Thornton, CO and 76% in Greeley, CO.
Summary
Greeley spends 16.7% more per capita than Thornton ($2,905/person difference). Thornton, CO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 54/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $79 |
| Sales Tax | $530 | $982 |
| Income Tax | $420 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $17,658 | $10,897 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,216 | $5,308 |
| Other | $1,541 | $2,069 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $427 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $411 | $291 |
| Education | $0 | $1 |
| Public Welfare | $899 | $712 |
| Hospitals | $173 | $733 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,969 | $1,832 |
| Housing | $3,363 | $3,047 |
| Sewerage | $159 | $97 |
| Utilities | $3,118 | $4,341 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $893 |
| Other | $3,943 | $5,418 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.