New Bedford, MA vs Springfield, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Springfield, MA spends 33% more per resident than New Bedford, MA: $65,626 against $49,215. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
New Bedford, MA edges Springfield, MA on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 49/100 (grade D) 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 New Bedford, MA carries $506 per resident. 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 Springfield, MA at $47,090.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 31% of total revenue in New Bedford, MA and 100% in Springfield, MA.
Summary
Springfield spends 25.0% more per capita than New Bedford ($16,411/person difference). New Bedford, MA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 49/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $123 | $34 |
| Income Tax | $5 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $7,480 | $15,275 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,982 | $0 |
| Other | $4,106 | $770 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $252 | $829 |
| Highways & Roads | $886 | $308 |
| Education | $31,923 | $47,090 |
| Public Welfare | $708 | $640 |
| Health | $255 | $453 |
| Hospitals | $610 | $861 |
| Parks & Recreation | $315 | $673 |
| Housing | $2,315 | $3,784 |
| Sewerage | $99 | $282 |
| Utilities | $887 | $200 |
| Other | $10,966 | $10,507 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.