Hartford, CT vs Bridgeport, CT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Hartford, CT spends 60% more per resident than Bridgeport, CT: $76,660 against $48,031. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Bridgeport, CT holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 58/100 (grade C) for Hartford, CT — a 17-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Hartford, CT at $39,340 per resident and in Bridgeport, CT at $27,902.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Hartford, CT at 26% of total revenue, whereas Bridgeport, CT relies most on other revenue at 5%.
Summary
Hartford spends 59.6% more per capita than Bridgeport ($28,629/person difference). Bridgeport, CT has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,103 | $308 |
| Income Tax | $9 | $15 |
| Intergovernmental | $10,322 | $1,555 |
| Other | $739 | $3,152 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $384 | $418 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $1,022 |
| Education | $39,340 | $27,902 |
| Public Welfare | $1,535 | $345 |
| Health | $1,038 | $669 |
| Hospitals | $5,508 | $293 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,661 | $547 |
| Housing | $4,670 | $6,831 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $261 |
| Utilities | $298 | $957 |
| Other | $22,228 | $8,786 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.