Boston, MA vs Fall River, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Fall River, MA by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $41,251, a 75% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Boston, MA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 56/100 (grade C) against 41/100 (grade D) for Fall River, MA — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Boston, MA carries the lighter load at $445 per resident versus $585 for Fall River, 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 Fall River, MA at $28,175.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in Boston, MA and 15% in Fall River, MA.
Summary
Boston spends 75.3% more per capita than Fall River ($31,048/person difference). Boston, MA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 56/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $78 | $165 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,357 | $5,430 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,784 | $1,459 |
| Other | $4,557 | $4,494 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,107 | $265 |
| Highways & Roads | $594 | $0 |
| Education | $30,742 | $28,175 |
| Public Welfare | $1,110 | $581 |
| Health | $725 | $178 |
| Hospitals | $2,584 | $602 |
| Parks & Recreation | $711 | $211 |
| Housing | $6,614 | $2,452 |
| Sewerage | $355 | $127 |
| Utilities | $3,402 | $1,773 |
| General Admin | $5,401 | $0 |
| Other | $18,955 | $6,887 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.