Boston, MA vs Austin, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Austin, TX by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $21,772, a 232% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Austin, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 56/100 (grade C) for Boston, MA — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Boston, MA carries the lighter load at $445 per resident versus $1,229 for Austin, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Boston, MA leads with education at $30,742 per resident, while Austin, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,801.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in Boston, MA and 18% in Austin, TX.
Summary
Boston spends 232.1% more per capita than Austin ($50,527/person difference). Austin, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $78 | $526 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,465 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,357 | $14,031 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,784 | $3,247 |
| Other | $4,557 | $5,645 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,107 | $634 |
| Highways & Roads | $594 | $0 |
| Education | $30,742 | $51 |
| Public Welfare | $1,110 | $1,837 |
| Health | $725 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $2,584 | $664 |
| Parks & Recreation | $711 | $1,801 |
| Housing | $6,614 | $3,741 |
| Sewerage | $355 | $865 |
| Utilities | $3,402 | $3,264 |
| General Admin | $5,401 | $0 |
| Other | $18,955 | $8,399 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.