Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Lowell, MA

Population: 114,737 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

C
50/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$5.6B
Per Capita
$48,457
Total Revenue
$3.1B
Total Debt
$53.9M

Spending Breakdown

Education
64.8%$3.6B
Other
23.5%$1.3B
Housing & Community Development
5.6%$313.6M
Utilities
2.5%$141.6M
Hospitals
0.9%$48.7M
Public Welfare
0.7%$40.0M
Parks & Recreation
0.6%$33.6M
Fire Protection
0.4%$22.2M
Highways & Roads
0.4%$20.9M
Health
0.3%$15.9M
Sewerage
0.3%$14.4M

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
2.3%$73.3M
Income Tax
1.0%$31.4M
Intergovernmental
15.3%$477.4M
Charges & Fees
3.9%$121.7M
Other
9.8%$304.5M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$194/person
Highways & Roads$182/person
Parks & Recreation$292/person
Education$31,397/person
Health$139/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)3/100
Debt Burden (20%)94/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$53.9M
Long-Term Debt$22.0M
Debt Per Capita$470
Cash & Securities$8.9M

Compare Cities

See how Lowell stacks up against another city.

vs Boston, MAvs Worcester, MAvs Springfield, 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

Boston, MA

Pop. 666K

C
Total Spending
$48.1B
Per Capita
$72,299

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

Compare Lowell With

Boston, MA

Spending: $72,299/person · Grade: C

Worcester, MA

Spending: $42,049/person · Grade: C

Springfield, MA

Spending: $65,626/person · Grade: D

Cambridge, MA

Spending: $130,737/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Lowell, MA spends $48,457 per resident, based on total expenditures of $5.6B for a population of 114,737. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (50/100).

Lowell, MA has total expenditures of $5.6B and total revenue of $3.1B. The city carries $53.9M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Lowell, 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.

Lowell, MA has a Fiscal Health Score of C (50/100). 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.

Last updated: