Brockton, MA vs Cambridge, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cambridge, MA outspends Brockton, MA by a wide margin per resident — $130,737 versus $58,373, a 124% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Cambridge, MA edges Brockton, MA on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 56/100 (grade C) to 49/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Cambridge, MA carries the lighter load at $420 per resident versus $491 for Brockton, MA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Brockton, MA at $38,500 per resident and in Cambridge, MA at $25,601.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 22% of total revenue in Brockton, MA and 16% in Cambridge, MA.
Summary
Cambridge spends 55.4% more per capita than Brockton ($72,364/person difference). Cambridge, 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 | $164 | $1,121 |
| Income Tax | $766 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,401 | $7,117 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,028 | $1,585 |
| Other | $2,515 | $6,370 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $746 | $672 |
| Highways & Roads | $271 | $467 |
| Education | $38,500 | $25,601 |
| Public Welfare | $581 | $737 |
| Health | $279 | $998 |
| Hospitals | $191 | $508 |
| Parks & Recreation | $222 | $2,179 |
| Housing | $2,794 | $4,715 |
| Sewerage | $135 | $1,718 |
| Utilities | $2,408 | $2,291 |
| General Admin | $0 | $76,486 |
| Other | $12,245 | $14,364 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.