Hartford, CT vs Waterbury, CT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Hartford, CT spends 38% more per resident than Waterbury, CT: $76,660 against $55,426. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Hartford, CT holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 58/100 (grade C) against 41/100 (grade D) for Waterbury, CT — a 17-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Hartford, CT reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Waterbury, CT carries $108 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Hartford, CT at $39,340 per resident and in Waterbury, CT at $33,920.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 26% of total revenue in Hartford, CT and 100% in Waterbury, CT.
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
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| 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)
| 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 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.