Fall River, MA vs Cambridge, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cambridge, MA outspends Fall River, MA by a wide margin per resident — $130,737 versus $41,251, a 217% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Cambridge, MA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 56/100 (grade C) against 41/100 (grade D) for Fall River, MA — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Cambridge, MA carries the lighter load at $420 per resident versus $585 for Fall River, MA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Fall River, MA at $28,175 per resident and in Cambridge, MA at $25,601.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 15% of total revenue in Fall River, MA and 16% in Cambridge, MA.
Summary
Cambridge spends 68.4% more per capita than Fall River ($89,486/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 | $165 | $1,121 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,430 | $7,117 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,459 | $1,585 |
| Other | $4,494 | $6,370 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $265 | $672 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $467 |
| Education | $28,175 | $25,601 |
| Public Welfare | $581 | $737 |
| Health | $178 | $998 |
| Hospitals | $602 | $508 |
| Parks & Recreation | $211 | $2,179 |
| Housing | $2,452 | $4,715 |
| Sewerage | $127 | $1,718 |
| Utilities | $1,773 | $2,291 |
| General Admin | $0 | $76,486 |
| Other | $6,887 | $14,364 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.