West Hartford, CT vs New Haven, CT
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New Haven, CT spends 34% more per resident than West Hartford, CT: $66,510 against $49,530. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
West Hartford, CT holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 54/100 (grade C) for New Haven, CT — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in West Hartford, CT at $36,675 per resident and in New Haven, CT at $33,075.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 3% of total revenue in West Hartford, CT and 100% in New Haven, CT.
Summary
New Haven spends 25.5% more per capita than West Hartford ($16,980/person difference). West Hartford, CT has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $41 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,399 | $1,927 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $999 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,341 | $53,739 |
| Other | $1,522 | $431 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $464 | $2,676 |
| Highways & Roads | $387 | $0 |
| Education | $36,675 | $33,075 |
| Public Welfare | $1,942 | $2,189 |
| Health | $505 | $286 |
| Hospitals | $539 | $1,047 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,675 | $98 |
| Housing | $2,852 | $3,394 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $71 |
| Utilities | $17 | $967 |
| Other | $4,475 | $22,708 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.