Springfield, MA vs New Bedford, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Springfield, MA spends 33% more per resident than New Bedford, MA: $65,626 against $49,215. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
New Bedford, MA edges Springfield, MA on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 49/100 (grade D) 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 New Bedford, MA carries $506 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 New Bedford, MA at $31,923.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Springfield, MA and 31% in New Bedford, MA.
Summary
Springfield spends 33.3% more per capita than New Bedford ($16,411/person difference). New Bedford, MA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 49/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $34 | $123 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $5 |
| Intergovernmental | $15,275 | $7,480 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,982 |
| Other | $770 | $4,106 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $829 | $252 |
| Highways & Roads | $308 | $886 |
| Education | $47,090 | $31,923 |
| Public Welfare | $640 | $708 |
| Health | $453 | $255 |
| Hospitals | $861 | $610 |
| Parks & Recreation | $673 | $315 |
| Housing | $3,784 | $2,315 |
| Sewerage | $282 | $99 |
| Utilities | $200 | $887 |
| Other | $10,507 | $10,966 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.