Lowell, MA vs Cambridge, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cambridge, MA outspends Lowell, MA by a wide margin per resident — $130,737 versus $48,457, a 170% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Cambridge, MA edges Lowell, MA on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 56/100 (grade C) to 50/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Cambridge, MA carries the lighter load at $420 per resident versus $470 for Lowell, 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 Cambridge, MA at $25,601.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 15% of total revenue in Lowell, MA and 16% in Cambridge, MA.
Summary
Cambridge spends 62.9% more per capita than Lowell ($82,279/person difference). Cambridge, MA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 56/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $639 | $1,121 |
| Income Tax | $274 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,160 | $7,117 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,061 | $1,585 |
| Other | $2,654 | $6,370 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $194 | $672 |
| Highways & Roads | $182 | $467 |
| Education | $31,397 | $25,601 |
| Public Welfare | $349 | $737 |
| Health | $139 | $998 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $508 |
| Parks & Recreation | $292 | $2,179 |
| Housing | $2,733 | $4,715 |
| Sewerage | $126 | $1,718 |
| Utilities | $1,234 | $2,291 |
| General Admin | $0 | $76,486 |
| Other | $11,388 | $14,364 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.