Springfield, MA vs Lowell, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Springfield, MA spends 35% more per resident than Lowell, MA: $65,626 against $48,457. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Lowell, MA edges Springfield, MA on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 50/100 (grade C) to 44/100 (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 Lowell, MA carries $470 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 Lowell, MA at $31,397.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Springfield, MA and 15% in Lowell, MA.
Summary
Springfield spends 35.4% more per capita than Lowell ($17,169/person difference). Lowell, MA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 50/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $34 | $639 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $274 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,275 | $4,160 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,061 |
| Other | $770 | $2,654 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $829 | $194 |
| Highways & Roads | $308 | $182 |
| Education | $47,090 | $31,397 |
| Public Welfare | $640 | $349 |
| Health | $453 | $139 |
| Hospitals | $861 | $425 |
| Parks & Recreation | $673 | $292 |
| Housing | $3,784 | $2,733 |
| Sewerage | $282 | $126 |
| Utilities | $200 | $1,234 |
| Other | $10,507 | $11,388 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.