Stamford, CT vs Hartford, CT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Hartford, CT spends 46% more per resident than Stamford, CT: $76,660 against $52,355. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Stamford, 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.
Hartford, CT reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Stamford, CT carries $239 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Stamford, CT at $31,665 per resident and in Hartford, CT at $39,340.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Stamford, CT at 6% of total revenue, whereas Hartford, CT relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 26%.
Summary
Hartford spends 31.7% more per capita than Stamford ($24,305/person difference). Stamford, 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 | $690 | $1,103 |
| Income Tax | $262 | $9 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,226 | $10,322 |
| Other | $2,342 | $739 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $615 | $384 |
| Highways & Roads | $865 | $0 |
| Education | $31,665 | $39,340 |
| Public Welfare | $597 | $1,535 |
| Health | $0 | $1,038 |
| Hospitals | $24 | $5,508 |
| Parks & Recreation | $579 | $1,661 |
| Housing | $3,222 | $4,670 |
| Utilities | $1,134 | $298 |
| Other | $13,653 | $22,228 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.