Lowell, MA vs Springfield, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Springfield, MA spends 35% more per resident than Lowell, MA: $65,626 against $48,457. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Lowell, MA edges Springfield, MA on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 50/100 (grade C) to 44/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Springfield, MA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Lowell, MA carries $470 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Lowell, MA at $31,397 per resident and in Springfield, MA at $47,090.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 15% of total revenue in Lowell, MA and 100% in Springfield, MA.
Summary
Springfield spends 26.2% more per capita than Lowell ($17,169/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 | $34 |
| Income Tax | $274 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,160 | $15,275 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,061 | $0 |
| Other | $2,654 | $770 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $194 | $829 |
| Highways & Roads | $182 | $308 |
| Education | $31,397 | $47,090 |
| Public Welfare | $349 | $640 |
| Health | $139 | $453 |
| Hospitals | $425 | $861 |
| Parks & Recreation | $292 | $673 |
| Housing | $2,733 | $3,784 |
| Sewerage | $126 | $282 |
| Utilities | $1,234 | $200 |
| Other | $11,388 | $10,507 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.