Boston, MA vs Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA spends 48% more per resident than Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN: $72,299 against $48,948. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Boston, MA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 56/100 (grade C) against 47/100 (grade D) for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Boston, MA carries the lighter load at $445 per resident versus $2,292 for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Boston, MA at $30,742 per resident and in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN at $21,061.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in Boston, MA and 10% in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN.
Summary
Boston spends 47.7% more per capita than Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) ($23,351/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 | $373 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $135 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,357 | $13,787 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,784 | $2,444 |
| Other | $4,557 | $4,617 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $1,107 | $468 |
| Highways & Roads | $594 | $11 |
| Education | $30,742 | $21,061 |
| Public Welfare | $1,110 | $738 |
| Health | $725 | $672 |
| Hospitals | $2,584 | $2,100 |
| Parks & Recreation | $711 | $1,015 |
| Housing | $6,614 | $4,231 |
| Sewerage | $355 | $217 |
| Utilities | $3,402 | $3,140 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,667 |
| General Admin | $5,401 | $2,081 |
| Other | $18,955 | $10,028 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.