Washington, DC vs Boston, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Summary
Washington spends 236.6% more per capita than Boston ($171,042/person difference). Boston, MA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 56/100).
Fiscal Health Score
D
41/100
Budget Balance45
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
C
56/100
Budget Balance25
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
Key Metrics
Metric
Washington
Boston
Total Spending
$163.2B
$48.1B
Spending / Capita
$243,341
$72,299
Total Revenue
$186.2B
$20.8B
Revenue / Capita
$277,701
$31,243
Total Debt
$1.7B
$296.3M
Debt / Capita
$2,516
$445
Population
670,587
665,945
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0
Per Capita Spending by Department
Police
Washington$4,183
Boston$0
Fire Protection
Washington$4,262
Boston$1,107
Highways & Roads
Washington$1,435
Boston$594
Parks & Recreation
Washington$5,459
Boston$711
Education
Washington$53,224
Boston$30,742
Health
Washington$1,009
Boston$725
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
WashingtonBoston
| Property Tax | $25 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $78 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $5,357 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $2,784 |
| Other | $11,518 | $4,557 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
WashingtonBoston
| Police | $4,183 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $1,107 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $594 |
| Education | $53,224 | $30,742 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $1,110 |
| Health | $1,009 | $725 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $2,584 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $711 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $6,614 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $355 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $3,402 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $0 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $5,401 |
| Other | $48,155 | $18,955 |
D
Washington, DC
Fiscal Health Score: 41/100
Below average fiscal health
C
Boston, MA
Fiscal Health Score: 56/100
Average fiscal health