Norwalk, CT vs Hartford, CT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Hartford, CT spends 46% more per resident than Norwalk, CT: $76,660 against $52,486. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Norwalk, CT edges Hartford, CT on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 58/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
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 Norwalk, CT at $34,497 per resident and in Hartford, CT at $39,340.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 23% of total revenue in Norwalk, CT and 26% in Hartford, CT.
Summary
Hartford spends 31.5% more per capita than Norwalk ($24,174/person difference). Norwalk, CT has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $723 | $1,103 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $9 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,012 | $10,322 |
| Other | $4,487 | $739 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $2,529 | $384 |
| Education | $34,497 | $39,340 |
| Public Welfare | $2,362 | $1,535 |
| Health | $381 | $1,038 |
| Hospitals | $97 | $5,508 |
| Parks & Recreation | $510 | $1,661 |
| Housing | $2,693 | $4,670 |
| Sewerage | $123 | $0 |
| Utilities | $66 | $298 |
| Other | $9,227 | $22,228 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.