New Britain, CT vs Waterbury, CT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Waterbury, CT spends 16% more per resident than New Britain, CT: $55,426 against $47,715. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
New Britain, CT edges Waterbury, CT on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 44/100 (grade D) to 41/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
New Britain, CT reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Waterbury, CT carries $108 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in New Britain, CT at $32,605 per resident and in Waterbury, CT at $33,920.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in New Britain, CT and 100% in Waterbury, CT.
Summary
Waterbury spends 13.9% more per capita than New Britain ($7,712/person difference). New Britain, CT has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 44/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $0 | $251 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $3 |
| Intergovernmental | $43,590 | $42,242 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,634 | $1,249 |
| Other | $3,148 | $2,485 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $595 | $2,439 |
| Highways & Roads | $410 | $0 |
| Education | $32,605 | $33,920 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $1,768 |
| Health | $469 | $173 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $313 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,240 | $161 |
| Housing | $6,454 | $3,627 |
| Sewerage | $94 | $74 |
| Utilities | $2,197 | $869 |
| Other | $3,650 | $12,083 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.