Chicago, IL vs Boston, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Chicago, IL by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $34,551, a 109% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Chicago, IL edges Boston, MA on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 61/100 (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 $977 for Chicago, IL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754 per resident, while Boston, MA leads with education at $30,742.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Chicago, IL and 17% in Boston, MA.
Summary
Boston spends 52.2% more per capita than Chicago ($37,747/person difference). Chicago, IL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $26 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $78 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $5,357 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $2,784 |
| Other | $3,463 | $4,557 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $1,107 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $594 |
| Education | $0 | $30,742 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $1,110 |
| Health | $426 | $725 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $2,584 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $711 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $6,614 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $355 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $3,402 |
| General Admin | $0 | $5,401 |
| Other | $9,385 | $18,955 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.