Brockton, MA vs Worcester, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Brockton, MA spends 39% more per resident than Worcester, MA: $58,373 against $42,049. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Worcester, MA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 58/100 (grade C) against 49/100 (grade D) for Brockton, MA — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Worcester, MA carries the lighter load at $456 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 Worcester, MA at $28,887.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 22% of total revenue in Brockton, MA and 9% in Worcester, MA.
Summary
Brockton spends 38.8% more per capita than Worcester ($16,324/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 | $164 | $457 |
| Income Tax | $766 | $231 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,401 | $4,140 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,028 | $1,465 |
| Other | $2,515 | $3,233 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $746 | $186 |
| Highways & Roads | $271 | $163 |
| Education | $38,500 | $28,887 |
| Public Welfare | $581 | $889 |
| Health | $279 | $349 |
| Hospitals | $191 | $534 |
| Parks & Recreation | $222 | $461 |
| Housing | $2,794 | $2,901 |
| Sewerage | $135 | $209 |
| Utilities | $2,408 | $1,046 |
| Other | $12,245 | $6,424 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.