Worcester, MA vs Cambridge, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cambridge, MA outspends Worcester, MA by a wide margin per resident — $130,737 versus $42,049, a 211% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Worcester, MA edges Cambridge, MA on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 58/100 (grade C) to 56/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Cambridge, MA carries the lighter load at $420 per resident versus $456 for Worcester, MA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: education leads in Worcester, MA at $28,887 per resident and in Cambridge, MA at $25,601.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 9% of total revenue in Worcester, MA and 16% in Cambridge, MA.
Summary
Cambridge spends 67.8% more per capita than Worcester ($88,688/person difference). Worcester, MA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 58/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $457 | $1,121 |
| Income Tax | $231 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,140 | $7,117 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,465 | $1,585 |
| Other | $3,233 | $6,370 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $186 | $672 |
| Highways & Roads | $163 | $467 |
| Education | $28,887 | $25,601 |
| Public Welfare | $889 | $737 |
| Health | $349 | $998 |
| Hospitals | $534 | $508 |
| Parks & Recreation | $461 | $2,179 |
| Housing | $2,901 | $4,715 |
| Sewerage | $209 | $1,718 |
| Utilities | $1,046 | $2,291 |
| General Admin | $0 | $76,486 |
| Other | $6,424 | $14,364 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.