Danbury, CT vs Waterbury, CT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Waterbury, CT spends 28% more per resident than Danbury, CT: $55,426 against $43,358. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Danbury, CT holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 60/100 (grade C) against 41/100 (grade D) for Waterbury, CT — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Waterbury, CT carries the lighter load at $108 per resident versus $129 for Danbury, CT. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Danbury, CT at $27,827 per resident and in Waterbury, CT at $33,920.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Danbury, CT at 14% of total revenue, whereas Waterbury, CT relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Waterbury spends 21.8% more per capita than Danbury ($12,069/person difference). Danbury, CT has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 60/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $442 | $251 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $3 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,313 | $42,242 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,180 | $1,249 |
| Other | $3,156 | $2,485 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $357 | $2,439 |
| Highways & Roads | $264 | $0 |
| Education | $27,827 | $33,920 |
| Public Welfare | $913 | $1,768 |
| Health | $290 | $173 |
| Hospitals | $53 | $313 |
| Parks & Recreation | $751 | $161 |
| Housing | $2,419 | $3,627 |
| Sewerage | $64 | $74 |
| Utilities | $984 | $869 |
| Other | $9,436 | $12,083 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.