New Bedford, MA vs Brockton, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Brockton, MA spends 19% more per resident than New Bedford, MA: $58,373 against $49,215. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: New Bedford, MA and Brockton, MA both land at 49/100 (grade D and D respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
On debt, Brockton, MA carries the lighter load at $491 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 Brockton, MA at $38,500.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 31% of total revenue in New Bedford, MA and 22% in Brockton, MA.
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
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| 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)
| 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 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.