New Haven, CT vs Danbury, CT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New Haven, CT spends 53% more per resident than Danbury, CT: $66,510 against $43,358. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Danbury, CT edges New Haven, CT on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 60/100 (grade C) to 54/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
New Haven, CT reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Danbury, CT carries $129 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 Danbury, CT at $27,827.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in New Haven, CT at 100% of total revenue, whereas Danbury, CT relies most on other revenue at 14%.
Summary
New Haven spends 53.4% more per capita than Danbury ($23,153/person difference). Danbury, CT has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 60/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,927 | $442 |
| Income Tax | $999 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $53,739 | $2,313 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,180 |
| Other | $431 | $3,156 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $2,676 | $357 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $264 |
| Education | $33,075 | $27,827 |
| Public Welfare | $2,189 | $913 |
| Health | $286 | $290 |
| Hospitals | $1,047 | $53 |
| Parks & Recreation | $98 | $751 |
| Housing | $3,394 | $2,419 |
| Sewerage | $71 | $64 |
| Utilities | $967 | $984 |
| Other | $22,708 | $9,436 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.