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

Somerville, MA

Population: 80,464 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

F
34/100

Critical — severe fiscal distress requiring immediate attention

Total Spending
$3.4B
Per Capita
$42,529
Total Revenue
$3.0B
Total Debt
$107.1M

Spending Breakdown

Education
46.5%$1.6B
Other
28.7%$981.7M
Utilities
6.3%$216.0M
Housing & Community Development
4.9%$168.3M
Highways & Roads
4.7%$160.6M
Public Welfare
2.5%$86.3M
Sewerage
2.4%$82.5M
Hospitals
1.3%$44.2M
Parks & Recreation
0.9%$32.0M
Health
0.9%$31.4M
Fire Protection
0.8%$28.4M

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
0.8%$24.0M
Income Tax
0.0%$752K
Intergovernmental
11.6%$342.8M
Charges & Fees
5.4%$158.9M
Other
12.3%$364.1M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$353/person
Highways & Roads$1,996/person
Parks & Recreation$397/person
Education$19,769/person
Health$390/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)14/100
Debt Burden (20%)0/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$107.1M
Long-Term Debt$13.7M
Debt Per Capita$1,331
Cash & Securities$3.9M

Compare Cities

See how Somerville 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 Somerville 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

Somerville, MA spends $42,529 per resident, based on total expenditures of $3.4B for a population of 80,464. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of F (34/100).

Somerville, MA has total expenditures of $3.4B and total revenue of $3.0B. The city carries $107.1M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Somerville, 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.

Somerville, MA has a Fiscal Health Score of F (34/100). 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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