Fort Worth, TX vs Boston, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Fort Worth, TX by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $15,939, a 354% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Fort Worth, TX edges Boston, MA on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 63/100 (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 $1,921 for Fort Worth, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fort Worth, TX leads with parks and recreation at $708 per resident, while Boston, MA leads with education at $30,742.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 15% of total revenue in Fort Worth, TX and 17% in Boston, MA.
Summary
Boston spends 78.0% more per capita than Fort Worth ($56,359/person difference). Fort Worth, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $198 | $78 |
| Income Tax | $851 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,002 | $5,357 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,594 | $2,784 |
| Other | $3,439 | $4,557 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $156 | $1,107 |
| Highways & Roads | $317 | $594 |
| Education | $0 | $30,742 |
| Public Welfare | $869 | $1,110 |
| Health | $235 | $725 |
| Hospitals | $1,680 | $2,584 |
| Parks & Recreation | $708 | $711 |
| Housing | $4,217 | $6,614 |
| Sewerage | $267 | $355 |
| Utilities | $2,674 | $3,402 |
| General Admin | $0 | $5,401 |
| Other | $4,817 | $18,955 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.