Las Vegas, NV vs Boston, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $9,085, a 696% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 56/100 (grade C) for Boston, MA — a 26-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Las Vegas, NV reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Boston, MA carries $445 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Las Vegas, NV leads with parks and recreation at $1,028 per resident, while Boston, MA leads with education at $30,742.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Las Vegas, NV at 34% of total revenue, whereas Boston, MA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 17%.
Summary
Boston spends 87.4% more per capita than Las Vegas ($63,213/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $50 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $386 | $78 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,137 | $5,357 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,784 |
| Other | $2,806 | $4,557 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $945 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $280 | $1,107 |
| Highways & Roads | $45 | $594 |
| Education | $0 | $30,742 |
| Public Welfare | $705 | $1,110 |
| Health | $0 | $725 |
| Hospitals | $356 | $2,584 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,028 | $711 |
| Housing | $23 | $6,614 |
| Sewerage | $332 | $355 |
| Utilities | $129 | $3,402 |
| General Admin | $0 | $5,401 |
| Other | $5,243 | $18,955 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.