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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Boston, MA

Population: 665,945 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

C
56/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$48.1B
Per Capita
$72,299
Total Revenue
$20.8B
Total Debt
$296.3M

Spending Breakdown

Education
42.5%$20.5B
Other
26.2%$12.6B
Housing & Community Development
9.1%$4.4B
General Administration
7.5%$3.6B
Utilities
4.7%$2.3B
Hospitals
3.6%$1.7B
Public Welfare
1.5%$739.4M
Fire Protection
1.5%$737.0M
Health
1.0%$482.7M
Parks & Recreation
1.0%$473.2M
Highways & Roads
0.8%$395.3M
Sewerage
0.5%$236.1M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Sales Tax
0.2%$51.8M
Intergovernmental
17.1%$3.6B
Charges & Fees
8.9%$1.9B
Other
14.6%$3.0B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$1,107/person
Highways & Roads$594/person
Parks & Recreation$711/person
Education$30,742/person
Health$725/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)25/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$296.3M
Long-Term Debt$704.4M
Debt Per Capita$445
Cash & Securities$779.9M

Compare Cities

See how Boston stacks up against another city.

vs Worcester, MAvs Springfield, MAvs Cambridge, MA
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Massachusetts

Worcester, MA

Pop. 204K

C
Total Spending
$8.6B
Per Capita
$42,049

Springfield, MA

Pop. 155K

D
Total Spending
$10.2B
Per Capita
$65,626

Cambridge, MA

Pop. 118K

C
Total Spending
$15.4B
Per Capita
$130,737

Lowell, MA

Pop. 115K

C
Total Spending
$5.6B
Per Capita
$48,457

Compare Boston With

Worcester, MA

Spending: $42,049/person · Grade: C

Springfield, MA

Spending: $65,626/person · Grade: D

Cambridge, MA

Spending: $130,737/person · Grade: C

Lowell, MA

Spending: $48,457/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Boston, MA spends $72,299 per resident, based on total expenditures of $48.1B for a population of 665,945. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (56/100).

Boston, MA has total expenditures of $48.1B and total revenue of $20.8B. The city carries $296.3M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Boston, MA employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Boston, MA has a Fiscal Health Score of C (56/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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