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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Hartford, CT vs Waterbury, CT

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Hartford spends 38.3% more per capita than Waterbury ($21,234/person difference). Hartford, CT has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 58/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Hartford, CT
Pop. 121,057
C
58/100
Budget Balance32
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Waterbury, CT
Pop. 114,480
D
41/100
Budget Balance2
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Hartford
Waterbury
Total Spending
$9.3B
$6.3B
Spending / Capita
$76,660
$55,426
Total Revenue
$4.9B
$4.8B
Revenue / Capita
$40,445
$42,242
Total Debt
$0
$12.3M
Debt / Capita
$0
$108
Population
121,057
114,480
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Hartford$384
Waterbury$2,439
Parks & Recreation
Hartford$1,661
Waterbury$161
Education
Hartford$39,340
Waterbury$33,920
Health
Hartford$1,038
Waterbury$173

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

HartfordWaterbury
Property Tax
$0
$0
Sales Tax
$1,103
$251
Income Tax
$9
$3
Intergovernmental
$10,322
$42,242
Charges & Fees
$0
$1,249
Other
$739
$2,485

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

HartfordWaterbury
Fire Protection
$384
$2,439
Education
$39,340
$33,920
Public Welfare
$1,535
$1,768
Health
$1,038
$173
Hospitals
$5,508
$313
Parks & Recreation
$1,661
$161
Housing
$4,670
$3,627
Sewerage
$0
$74
Utilities
$298
$869
Other
$22,228
$12,083
C
Hartford, CT
Fiscal Health Score: 58/100
Average fiscal health
D
Waterbury, CT
Fiscal Health Score: 41/100
Below average fiscal health

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