Springfield, MA vs Fall River, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Springfield, MA spends 59% more per resident than Fall River, MA: $65,626 against $41,251. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Springfield, MA edges Fall River, MA 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.
Springfield, MA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Fall River, MA carries $585 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Springfield, MA at $47,090 per resident and in Fall River, MA at $28,175.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Springfield, MA and 15% in Fall River, MA.
Summary
Springfield spends 59.1% more per capita than Fall River ($24,375/person difference). Springfield, MA 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 | $34 | $165 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,275 | $5,430 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,459 |
| Other | $770 | $4,494 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $829 | $265 |
| Highways & Roads | $308 | $0 |
| Education | $47,090 | $28,175 |
| Public Welfare | $640 | $581 |
| Health | $453 | $178 |
| Hospitals | $861 | $602 |
| Parks & Recreation | $673 | $211 |
| Housing | $3,784 | $2,452 |
| Sewerage | $282 | $127 |
| Utilities | $200 | $1,773 |
| Other | $10,507 | $6,887 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.