New Haven, CT vs Bristol, CT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New Haven, CT spends 48% more per resident than Bristol, CT: $66,510 against $44,977. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
New Haven, CT holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 54/100 (grade C) against 40/100 (grade D) for Bristol, CT — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
New Haven, CT reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Bristol, CT carries $47 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in New Haven, CT at $33,075 per resident and in Bristol, CT at $30,607.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in New Haven, CT and 100% in Bristol, CT.
Summary
New Haven spends 47.9% more per capita than Bristol ($21,534/person difference). New Haven, CT has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 54/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,927 | $89 |
| Income Tax | $999 | $67 |
| Intergovernmental | $53,739 | $20,060 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,528 |
| Other | $431 | $2,307 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $2,676 | $379 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $219 |
| Education | $33,075 | $30,607 |
| Public Welfare | $2,189 | $1,237 |
| Health | $286 | $413 |
| Hospitals | $1,047 | $270 |
| Parks & Recreation | $98 | $777 |
| Housing | $3,394 | $3,405 |
| Sewerage | $71 | $112 |
| Utilities | $967 | $2,175 |
| Other | $22,708 | $5,384 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.