Tucson, AZ vs Colorado Springs, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Tucson, AZ spends 19% more per resident than Colorado Springs, CO: $15,759 against $13,222. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Colorado Springs, CO edges Tucson, AZ on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 59/100 (grade C) to 55/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Tucson, AZ carries the lighter load at $1,540 per resident versus $3,063 for Colorado Springs, CO. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Tucson, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $1,229 per resident, while Colorado Springs, CO leads with fire protection at $1,266.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Tucson, AZ and 13% in Colorado Springs, CO.
Summary
Tucson spends 19.2% more per capita than Colorado Springs ($2,537/person difference). Colorado Springs, CO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 59/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $309 | $257 |
| Income Tax | $1,107 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,276 | $6,902 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,534 | $5,676 |
| Other | $952 | $2,678 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $330 | $1,266 |
| Public Welfare | $1,181 | $575 |
| Hospitals | $1,314 | $416 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,229 | $376 |
| Housing | $3,091 | $2,713 |
| Utilities | $3,555 | $2,566 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,735 | $190 |
| Other | $3,322 | $5,120 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.