Miami, FL vs Boston, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Miami, FL by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $28,195, a 156% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Boston, MA edges Miami, FL on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 56/100 (grade C) to 53/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Miami, FL 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: Miami, FL leads with fire protection at $7,399 per resident, while Boston, MA leads with education at $30,742.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Miami, FL and 17% in Boston, MA.
Summary
Boston spends 61.0% more per capita than Miami ($44,103/person difference). Boston, MA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 56/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,647 | $78 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,037 | $5,357 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,784 |
| Other | $1,399 | $4,557 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $7,399 | $1,107 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $594 |
| Education | $0 | $30,742 |
| Public Welfare | $109 | $1,110 |
| Health | $0 | $725 |
| Hospitals | $1,499 | $2,584 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,783 | $711 |
| Housing | $6,840 | $6,614 |
| Sewerage | $699 | $355 |
| Utilities | $1,295 | $3,402 |
| General Admin | $0 | $5,401 |
| Other | $8,572 | $18,955 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.