Bristol, CT vs Stamford, CT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Stamford, CT spends 16% more per resident than Bristol, CT: $52,355 against $44,977. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Stamford, CT holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 61/100 (grade C) against 40/100 (grade D) for Bristol, CT — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Bristol, CT carries the lighter load at $47 per resident versus $239 for Stamford, CT. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Bristol, CT at $30,607 per resident and in Stamford, CT at $31,665.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Bristol, CT at 100% of total revenue, whereas Stamford, CT relies most on other revenue at 6%.
Summary
Stamford spends 14.1% more per capita than Bristol ($7,378/person difference). Stamford, CT has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $89 | $690 |
| Income Tax | $67 | $262 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,060 | $1,226 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,528 | $0 |
| Other | $2,307 | $2,342 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $379 | $615 |
| Highways & Roads | $219 | $865 |
| Education | $30,607 | $31,665 |
| Public Welfare | $1,237 | $597 |
| Health | $413 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $270 | $24 |
| Parks & Recreation | $777 | $579 |
| Housing | $3,405 | $3,222 |
| Sewerage | $112 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,175 | $1,134 |
| Other | $5,384 | $13,653 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.