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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

New Bedford, MA vs Brockton, MA

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Brockton spends 15.7% more per capita than New Bedford ($9,157/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.

Fiscal Health Score

City A
New Bedford, MA
Pop. 100,620
D
49/100
Budget Balance5
Debt Burden89
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Brockton, MA
Pop. 104,713
D
49/100
Budget Balance1
Debt Burden91
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
New Bedford
Brockton
Total Spending
$5.0B
$6.1B
Spending / Capita
$49,215
$58,373
Total Revenue
$2.4B
$4.5B
Revenue / Capita
$23,972
$42,941
Total Debt
$50.9M
$51.5M
Debt / Capita
$506
$491
Population
100,620
104,713
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
New Bedford$252
Brockton$746
Highways & Roads
New Bedford$886
Brockton$271
Parks & Recreation
New Bedford$315
Brockton$222
Education
New Bedford$31,923
Brockton$38,500
Health
New Bedford$255
Brockton$279

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

New BedfordBrockton
Sales Tax
$123
$164
Income Tax
$5
$766
Intergovernmental
$7,480
$9,401
Charges & Fees
$1,982
$2,028
Other
$4,106
$2,515

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

New BedfordBrockton
Fire Protection
$252
$746
Highways & Roads
$886
$271
Education
$31,923
$38,500
Public Welfare
$708
$581
Health
$255
$279
Hospitals
$610
$191
Parks & Recreation
$315
$222
Housing
$2,315
$2,794
Sewerage
$99
$135
Utilities
$887
$2,408
Other
$10,966
$12,245
D
New Bedford, MA
Fiscal Health Score: 49/100
Below average fiscal health
D
Brockton, MA
Fiscal Health Score: 49/100
Below average fiscal health

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