Bridgeport, CT vs West Hartford, CT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
West Hartford, CT and Bridgeport, CT spend within 3.1% of each other per resident — $49,530 versus $48,031 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Bridgeport, CT and West Hartford, CT both land at 75/100 (grade B and B respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Bridgeport, CT at $27,902 per resident and in West Hartford, CT at $36,675.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Bridgeport, CT at 5% of total revenue, whereas West Hartford, CT relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 3%.
Summary
West Hartford spends 3.0% more per capita than Bridgeport ($1,499/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $41 |
| Sales Tax | $308 | $1,399 |
| Income Tax | $15 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,555 | $2,341 |
| Other | $3,152 | $1,522 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $418 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,022 | $387 |
| Education | $27,902 | $36,675 |
| Public Welfare | $345 | $1,942 |
| Health | $669 | $505 |
| Hospitals | $293 | $539 |
| Parks & Recreation | $547 | $1,675 |
| Housing | $6,831 | $2,852 |
| Sewerage | $261 | $0 |
| Utilities | $957 | $17 |
| Other | $8,786 | $4,475 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.