New Haven, CT vs West Hartford, CT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New Haven, CT spends 34% more per resident than West Hartford, CT: $66,510 against $49,530. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
West Hartford, CT holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 54/100 (grade C) for New Haven, CT — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. 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 West Hartford, CT at $36,675.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in New Haven, CT and 3% in West Hartford, CT.
Summary
New Haven spends 34.3% more per capita than West Hartford ($16,980/person difference). West Hartford, CT has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $41 |
| Sales Tax | $1,927 | $1,399 |
| Income Tax | $999 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $53,739 | $2,341 |
| Other | $431 | $1,522 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $2,676 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $387 |
| Education | $33,075 | $36,675 |
| Public Welfare | $2,189 | $1,942 |
| Health | $286 | $505 |
| Hospitals | $1,047 | $539 |
| Parks & Recreation | $98 | $1,675 |
| Housing | $3,394 | $2,852 |
| Sewerage | $71 | $0 |
| Utilities | $967 | $17 |
| Other | $22,708 | $4,475 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.