Worcester, MA vs New Bedford, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New Bedford, MA spends 17% more per resident than Worcester, MA: $49,215 against $42,049. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Worcester, MA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 58/100 (grade C) against 49/100 (grade D) for New Bedford, MA — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Worcester, MA carries the lighter load at $456 per resident versus $506 for New Bedford, 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 New Bedford, MA at $31,923.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 9% of total revenue in Worcester, MA and 31% in New Bedford, MA.
Summary
New Bedford spends 14.6% more per capita than Worcester ($7,167/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 | $123 |
| Income Tax | $231 | $5 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,140 | $7,480 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,465 | $1,982 |
| Other | $3,233 | $4,106 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $186 | $252 |
| Highways & Roads | $163 | $886 |
| Education | $28,887 | $31,923 |
| Public Welfare | $889 | $708 |
| Health | $349 | $255 |
| Hospitals | $534 | $610 |
| Parks & Recreation | $461 | $315 |
| Housing | $2,901 | $2,315 |
| Sewerage | $209 | $99 |
| Utilities | $1,046 | $887 |
| Other | $6,424 | $10,966 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.