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

Worcester, MA

Population: 204,191 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

C
58/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$8.6B
Per Capita
$42,049
Total Revenue
$9.2B
Total Debt
$93.0M

Spending Breakdown

Education
68.7%$5.9B
Other
15.3%$1.3B
Housing & Community Development
6.9%$592.4M
Utilities
2.5%$213.7M
Public Welfare
2.1%$181.5M
Hospitals
1.3%$109.1M
Parks & Recreation
1.1%$94.1M
Health
0.8%$71.3M
Sewerage
0.5%$42.7M
Fire Protection
0.4%$38.0M
Highways & Roads
0.4%$33.2M

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
1.0%$93.3M
Income Tax
0.5%$47.1M
Intergovernmental
9.1%$845.4M
Charges & Fees
3.2%$299.2M
Other
7.1%$660.2M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$186/person
Highways & Roads$163/person
Parks & Recreation$461/person
Education$28,887/person
Health$349/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)36/100
Debt Burden (20%)95/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$93.0M
Long-Term Debt$212.7M
Debt Per Capita$456
Cash & Securities$19.5M

Compare Cities

See how Worcester stacks up against another city.

vs Boston, 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

Boston, MA

Pop. 666K

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

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 Worcester With

Boston, MA

Spending: $72,299/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

Worcester, MA spends $42,049 per resident, based on total expenditures of $8.6B for a population of 204,191. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (58/100).

Worcester, MA has total expenditures of $8.6B and total revenue of $9.2B. The city carries $93.0M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Worcester, 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.

Worcester, MA has a Fiscal Health Score of C (58/100). 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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