Boston, MA vs Cambridge, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cambridge, MA outspends Boston, MA by a wide margin per resident — $130,737 versus $72,299, a 81% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Boston, MA and Cambridge, MA both land at 56/100 (grade C and C respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
On debt, Cambridge, MA carries the lighter load at $420 per resident versus $445 for Boston, MA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Boston, MA at $30,742 per resident and in Cambridge, MA at $25,601.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in Boston, MA and 16% in Cambridge, MA.
Summary
Cambridge spends 44.7% more per capita than Boston ($58,438/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $78 | $1,121 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,357 | $7,117 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,784 | $1,585 |
| Other | $4,557 | $6,370 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,107 | $672 |
| Highways & Roads | $594 | $467 |
| Education | $30,742 | $25,601 |
| Public Welfare | $1,110 | $737 |
| Health | $725 | $998 |
| Hospitals | $2,584 | $508 |
| Parks & Recreation | $711 | $2,179 |
| Housing | $6,614 | $4,715 |
| Sewerage | $355 | $1,718 |
| Utilities | $3,402 | $2,291 |
| General Admin | $5,401 | $76,486 |
| Other | $18,955 | $14,364 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.