Boston, MA vs Quincy, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA spends 53% more per resident than Quincy, MA: $72,299 against $47,287. 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 43/100 (grade D) for Quincy, MA — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Boston, MA carries the lighter load at $445 per resident versus $1,638 for Quincy, 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 Quincy, MA at $21,538.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in Boston, MA and 18% in Quincy, MA.
Summary
Boston spends 52.9% more per capita than Quincy ($25,012/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 | $100 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,357 | $15,074 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,784 | $2,340 |
| Other | $4,557 | $3,310 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,107 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $594 | $774 |
| Education | $30,742 | $21,538 |
| Public Welfare | $1,110 | $778 |
| Health | $725 | $374 |
| Hospitals | $2,584 | $1,076 |
| Parks & Recreation | $711 | $661 |
| Housing | $6,614 | $3,703 |
| Sewerage | $355 | $587 |
| Utilities | $3,402 | $2,689 |
| General Admin | $5,401 | $0 |
| Other | $18,955 | $14,644 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.