Lowell, MA vs Brockton, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Brockton, MA spends 20% more per resident than Lowell, MA: $58,373 against $48,457. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Lowell, MA edges Brockton, MA on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 50/100 (grade C) to 49/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Lowell, MA carries the lighter load at $470 per resident versus $491 for Brockton, MA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Lowell, MA at $31,397 per resident and in Brockton, MA at $38,500.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 15% of total revenue in Lowell, MA and 22% in Brockton, MA.
Summary
Brockton spends 17.0% more per capita than Lowell ($9,915/person difference). Lowell, MA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 50/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $639 | $164 |
| Income Tax | $274 | $766 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,160 | $9,401 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,061 | $2,028 |
| Other | $2,654 | $2,515 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $194 | $746 |
| Highways & Roads | $182 | $271 |
| Education | $31,397 | $38,500 |
| Public Welfare | $349 | $581 |
| Health | $139 | $279 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $191 |
| Parks & Recreation | $292 | $222 |
| Housing | $2,733 | $2,794 |
| Sewerage | $126 | $135 |
| Utilities | $1,234 | $2,408 |
| Other | $11,388 | $12,245 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.