Boston, MA vs Worcester, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Worcester, MA by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $42,049, a 72% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Worcester, MA edges Boston, MA on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 58/100 (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 $456 for Worcester, 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 Worcester, MA at $28,887.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in Boston, MA and 9% in Worcester, MA.
Summary
Boston spends 71.9% more per capita than Worcester ($30,250/person difference). Worcester, MA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 58/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $78 | $457 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $231 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,357 | $4,140 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,784 | $1,465 |
| Other | $4,557 | $3,233 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,107 | $186 |
| Highways & Roads | $594 | $163 |
| Education | $30,742 | $28,887 |
| Public Welfare | $1,110 | $889 |
| Health | $725 | $349 |
| Hospitals | $2,584 | $534 |
| Parks & Recreation | $711 | $461 |
| Housing | $6,614 | $2,901 |
| Sewerage | $355 | $209 |
| Utilities | $3,402 | $1,046 |
| General Admin | $5,401 | $0 |
| Other | $18,955 | $6,424 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.