Washington, DC vs Denver, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Denver, CO by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $33,582, a 625% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Denver, CO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 51/100 (grade C) against 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Washington, DC carries the lighter load at $2,516 per resident versus $5,126 for Denver, CO. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224 per resident, while Denver, CO leads with parks and recreation at $3,319.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Washington, DC and 37% in Denver, CO.
Summary
Washington spends 624.6% more per capita than Denver ($209,759/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 | $25 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $2,070 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $236 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $44,661 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $5,207 |
| Other | $11,518 | $10,100 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,183 | $2,455 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $1,668 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $475 |
| Education | $53,224 | $821 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $764 |
| Health | $1,009 | $693 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $2,855 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $3,319 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $3,565 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $293 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $4,292 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $7 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $364 |
| Other | $48,155 | $12,011 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.