New Bedford, MA vs Boston, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA spends 47% more per resident than New Bedford, MA: $72,299 against $49,215. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Boston, MA edges New Bedford, MA on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 56/100 (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, Boston, MA carries the lighter load at $445 per resident versus $506 for New Bedford, MA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in New Bedford, MA at $31,923 per resident and in Boston, MA at $30,742.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 31% of total revenue in New Bedford, MA and 17% in Boston, MA.
Summary
Boston spends 31.9% more per capita than New Bedford ($23,083/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)
| Sales Tax | $123 | $78 |
| Income Tax | $5 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $7,480 | $5,357 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,982 | $2,784 |
| Other | $4,106 | $4,557 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $252 | $1,107 |
| Highways & Roads | $886 | $594 |
| Education | $31,923 | $30,742 |
| Public Welfare | $708 | $1,110 |
| Health | $255 | $725 |
| Hospitals | $610 | $2,584 |
| Parks & Recreation | $315 | $711 |
| Housing | $2,315 | $6,614 |
| Sewerage | $99 | $355 |
| Utilities | $887 | $3,402 |
| General Admin | $0 | $5,401 |
| Other | $10,966 | $18,955 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.