Boston, MA vs Fort Worth, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Fort Worth, TX by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $15,939, a 354% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Fort Worth, TX edges Boston, MA on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 63/100 (grade C) to 56/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Boston, MA carries the lighter load at $445 per resident versus $1,921 for Fort Worth, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Boston, MA leads with education at $30,742 per resident, while Fort Worth, TX leads with parks and recreation at $708.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in Boston, MA and 15% in Fort Worth, TX.
Summary
Boston spends 353.6% more per capita than Fort Worth ($56,359/person difference). Fort Worth, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $78 | $198 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $851 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,357 | $4,002 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,784 | $3,594 |
| Other | $4,557 | $3,439 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,107 | $156 |
| Highways & Roads | $594 | $317 |
| Education | $30,742 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,110 | $869 |
| Health | $725 | $235 |
| Hospitals | $2,584 | $1,680 |
| Parks & Recreation | $711 | $708 |
| Housing | $6,614 | $4,217 |
| Sewerage | $355 | $267 |
| Utilities | $3,402 | $2,674 |
| General Admin | $5,401 | $0 |
| Other | $18,955 | $4,817 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.