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Per capita spending on fire protection

In this table The Boston Globe ranks communities in Massachusetts by per capita spending on fire protection in fiscal year 2003. It also shows spending for 1987, adjusted for inflation and expressed in 2003 dollars.

The information came from reports filed by the communities with the state Department of Revenue. Towns that had not filed are marked "N/A." This table includes municipal spending only -- not spending by any separate entity, such as a volunteer fire protection district.

Please send any questions to Bill Dedman, at Dedman@Globe.com.

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Rank	Community	Fire spending per capita, FY 2003	Fire spending per capita, FY 1987, in 2003 dollars	Change in fire spending per capita, 1987-2003	Change in other municipal spending per capita, 1987-2003	Fire spending per housing unit, FY 2003	Fire spending per square mile, FY 2003
1	Wellfleet	$265	$81	228.5%	59.3%	$582	$37,238
2	Orleans	$250	$123	103.3%	48.5%	$531	$113,195
3	Boston	$239	$191	25.5%	-1.7%	$594	$2,871,415
4	Cohasset	$236	$199	18.8%	64.4%	$648	$169,287
5	Chatham	$230	$113	104.3%	92.6%	$483	$89,554
6	Watertown	$215	$167	28.3%	13.7%	$483	$1,696,278
7	Burlington	$214	$159	35.0%	29.6%	$587	$409,684
8	Avon	$211	$89	137.2%	35.3%	$544	$202,667
9	Hull	$207	$203	2.3%	-20.5%	$517	$746,342
10	Lynn	$197	$186	6.0%	30.2%	$542	$1,586,711
11	Holyoke	$192	$182	5.8%	77.3%	$491	$322,347
12	Cambridge	$190	$192	-1.0%	0.4%	$461	$2,758,699
13	Eastham	$188	$122	53.5%	45.1%	$459	$76,550
14	Braintree	$187	$131	42.8%	16.0%	$500	$439,739
15	Brookline	$185	$206	-10.2%	27.1%	$420	$1,576,704
16	Harwich	$179	$139	29.0%	49.2%	$433	$104,911
17	Waltham	$179	$142	25.5%	19.7%	$460	$784,195
18	Andover	$178	$124	43.4%	33.0%	$506	$178,114
19	Scituate	$178	$160	11.4%	3.1%	$487	$187,287
20	Brockton	$177	$158	12.2%	38.4%	$500	$779,532
21	Quincy	$172	$167	2.7%	22.3%	$395	$909,580
22	Weston	$171	$214	-19.8%	36.9%	$552	$118,432
23	Needham	$169	$168	1.0%	-15.4%	$470	$392,499
24	Worcester	$169	$128	32.0%	20.9%	$438	$760,642
25	Everett	$163	$148	10.0%	37.7%	$411	$1,871,260
26	Chelsea	$162	$212	-23.4%	40.0%	$513	$2,782,840
27	Dennis	$162	$111	45.8%	23.7%	$362	$127,482
28	Fitchburg	$160	$101	58.2%	65.9%	$409	$217,540
29	Hingham	$159	$176	-9.7%	42.6%	$441	$139,671
30	Natick	$158	$127	24.4%	22.4%	$398	$324,138
31	Salem	$158	$135	17.3%	30.8%	$374	$797,979
32	Woburn	$157	$116	35.6%	20.5%	$396	$460,592
33	Swampscott	$156	$166	-5.9%	16.8%	$403	$745,992
34	Dedham	$156	$126	24.1%	43.3%	$420	$341,749
35	Canton	$155	$118	30.8%	16.5%	$422	$171,488
36	New Bedford	$155	$117	32.9%	63.5%	$370	$700,852
37	West Bridgewater	$155	$103	50.1%	38.8%	$426	$65,853
38	Nantucket	$154	$249	-38.1%	N/A	$455	$34,217
39	Nahant	$153	$123	24.6%	30.8%	$335	$438,260
40	Mashpee	$153	$180	-15.3%	17.6%	$435	$88,730
41	Medford	$152	$133	14.1%	18.3%	$380	$991,534
42	Marlborough	$151	$139	9.1%	12.7%	$396	$259,253
43	Bedford	$151	$107	41.4%	62.3%	$406	$135,280
44	Belmont	$147	$155	-4.8%	34.9%	$363	$751,397
45	Holbrook	$147	$113	29.7%	44.2%	$385	$212,160
46	Newburyport	$147	$114	28.6%	23.5%	$343	$293,428
47	Newton	$147	$168	-12.8%	18.7%	$396	$679,453
48	Norwell	$145	$65	124.0%	27.5%	$444	$68,169
49	Framingham	$144	$155	-6.9%	28.6%	$374	$369,562
50	Southborough	$144	$89	62.1%	22.7%	$471	$88,759
51	Concord	$144	$110	30.5%	47.1%	$410	$94,120
52	Marshfield	$143	$123	16.9%	10.9%	$410	$127,645
53	Billerica	$143	$126	13.2%	36.4%	$438	$214,269
54	Gloucester	$143	$149	-4.5%	28.1%	$350	$165,477
55	Westwood	$142	$171	-17.0%	28.0%	$409	$188,545
56	Chicopee	$141	$103	36.8%	42.3%	$329	$318,505
57	Wellesley	$140	$132	6.1%	31.8%	$433	$354,732
58	Plymouth	$140	$137	1.7%	51.9%	$410	$73,600
59	Norwood	$139	$118	17.3%	11.2%	$341	$376,093
60	Yarmouth	$137	$61	124.6%	17.9%	$313	$142,581
61	Amesbury	$137	$95	45.4%	42.3%	$367	$171,502
62	Fall River	$137	$119	15.5%	41.4%	$325	$344,335
63	Lawrence	$137	$139	-1.1%	64.3%	$408	$1,347,245
64	Somerville	$137	$115	18.8%	15.2%	$337	$2,589,159
65	Taunton	$135	$109	23.5%	41.5%	$357	$164,329
66	Danvers	$134	$116	14.9%	-40.7%	$358	$248,703
67	Revere	$133	$147	-9.9%	-1.3%	$335	$1,090,172
68	Milton	$132	$128	3.7%	17.2%	$386	$263,625
69	Pittsfield	$132	$117	13.2%	24.5%	$299	$139,276
70	Springfield	$132	$120	10.2%	51.5%	$347	$596,387
71	Winchester	$132	$131	0.6%	11.2%	$359	$439,602
72	Tewksbury	$131	$109	20.4%	40.6%	$389	$184,095
73	Rockland	$131	$111	18.3%	17.1%	$366	$237,185
74	Malden	$131	$133	-1.2%	2.9%	$326	$1,475,237
75	Haverhill	$131	$122	7.1%	-2.3%	$352	$227,123
76	Falmouth	$130	$113	15.0%	14.3%	$325	$98,082
77	Methuen	$130	$121	7.3%	33.4%	$355	$254,564
78	Brewster	$129	$49	162.1%	40.6%	$337	$54,690
79	Manchester-by-the-Sea	$129	$89	45.2%	34.8%	$310	$85,520
80	Sandwich	$129	$80	61.8%	42.6%	$386	$64,395
81	Wayland	$128	$118	8.7%	32.4%	$377	$109,646
82	Maynard	$128	$120	6.7%	31.1%	$312	$249,130
83	Sudbury	$127	$129	-1.1%	48.6%	$412	$92,089
84	Leominster	$126	$99	27.1%	32.7%	$326	$180,798
85	Lowell	$126	$158	-20.3%	50.1%	$352	$916,654
86	Weymouth	$124	$112	11.3%	16.1%	$305	$377,024
87	Stoneham	$124	$126	-1.6%	18.4%	$305	$411,664
88	Whitman	$124	$79	56.7%	-24.7%	$350	$251,147
89	Peabody	$124	$107	15.6%	23.8%	$323	$356,805
90	West Springfield	$122	$113	8.4%	61.4%	$290	$195,664
91	Stoughton	$122	$93	31.0%	27.8%	$325	$204,813
92	Athol	$122	$79	53.5%	39.8%	$305	$41,045
93	Wakefield	$122	$102	19.6%	-24.8%	$309	$381,274
94	Hanson	$121	$78	55.8%	5.6%	$376	$74,946
95	Duxbury	$121	$102	18.1%	18.6%	$352	$71,916
96	North Reading	$121	$112	8.1%	20.1%	$367	$130,321
97	North Andover	$121	$124	-3.1%	26.4%	$359	$125,459
98	Raynham	$120	$60	101.2%	15.9%	$363	$72,107
99	Acton	$120	$131	-8.2%	26.2%	$341	$126,100
100	Attleboro	$118	$99	19.1%	21.0%	$320	$181,446
101	Melrose	$118	$124	-4.8%	20.8%	$287	$662,928
102	Hanover	$117	$40	192.9%	23.8%	$368	$101,808
103	Beverly	$117	$148	-21.1%	21.0%	$300	$307,210
104	Rowe	$116	$184	-36.7%	16.7%	$257	$1,646
105	Wrentham	$116	$90	28.1%	61.9%	$380	$56,387
106	Marblehead	$114	$123	-7.8%	17.4%	$274	$517,465
107	Chelmsford	$113	$132	-14.2%	33.5%	$304	$168,076
108	Arlington	$113	$109	3.2%	27.7%	$246	$846,904
109	Hudson	$112	$83	34.6%	-35.4%	$296	$174,634
110	Ashland	$112	$85	30.9%	18.6%	$307	$135,853
111	Abington	$111	$82	34.7%	11.1%	$314	$162,356
112	Foxborough	$110	$74	48.3%	34.0%	$303	$88,962
113	Middleton	$110	$125	-12.1%	-54.6%	$422	$67,295
114	North Attleborough	$109	$79	37.8%	52.7%	$295	$160,836
115	Pembroke	$109	$88	24.5%	54.7%	$340	$83,393
116	Bridgewater	$109	$79	38.2%	3.9%	$389	$103,654
117	Kingston	$109	$101	8.0%	19.3%	$331	$74,181
118	Reading	$109	$125	-13.1%	19.5%	$303	$265,410
119	Lexington	$109	$110	-1.6%	36.5%	$302	$202,815
120	Saugus	$108	$95	13.7%	9.2%	$283	$246,775
121	Wilmington	$107	$114	-5.4%	8.5%	$349	$142,670
122	Gardner	$107	$124	-13.9%	34.7%	$272	$97,924
123	Norton	$106	$97	9.4%	16.2%	$353	$69,546
124	Randolph	$106	$91	15.6%	27.6%	$293	$315,250
125	Northampton	$106	$79	34.1%	27.2%	$257	$85,718
126	Easthampton	$105	$69	51.9%	22.7%	$248	$124,853
127	Winthrop	$105	$96	8.8%	12.6%	$246	$958,701
128	East Bridgewater	$104	$66	56.2%	20.5%	$327	$81,252
129	Westford	$103	$29	262.3%	50.1%	$341	$74,206
130	Agawam	$103	$90	14.4%	41.1%	$261	$121,336
131	Franklin	$103	$55	85.7%	33.9%	$330	$124,189
132	Hopkinton	$102	$52	96.1%	70.4%	$344	$54,231
133	Westfield	$102	$92	10.1%	51.0%	$280	$87,560
134	Provincetown	$101	$51	99.0%	40.4%	$186	$34,715
135	Lynnfield	$101	$65	56.0%	18.7%	$280	$111,880
136	Chilmark	$99	$27	271.8%	58.3%	$238	$4,435
137	Bourne	$98	$112	-12.6%	35.2%	$261	$46,951
138	Ayer	$95	$53	79.5%	-21.0%	$237	$73,762
139	Lincoln	$94	$71	33.1%	44.0%	$278	$51,610
140	Boxborough	$94	$53	76.2%	49.3%	$277	$49,328
141	Wilbraham	$94	$93	0.9%	15.2%	$264	$57,685
142	Clinton	$93	$81	14.7%	49.1%	$225	$172,619
143	Salisbury	$92	$59	56.3%	-3.8%	$246	$47,832
144	Milford	$91	$75	22.6%	26.0%	$240	$168,489
145	Middleborough	$90	$80	12.7%	43.8%	$268	$25,834
146	Westport	$90	$67	33.2%	21.8%	$239	$24,972
147	North Adams	$89	$85	4.9%	71.7%	$196	$60,192
148	Southbridge	$89	$69	28.8%	52.6%	$215	$72,796
149	Seekonk	$89	$52	71.6%	44.7%	$251	$65,882
150	Easton	$89	$83	7.5%	23.7%	$276	$70,877
151	Walpole	$87	$54	61.5%	17.8%	$259	$99,401
152	Greenfield	$86	$69	23.9%	37.1%	$195	$70,570
153	Mansfield	$85	$88	-3.2%	46.5%	$265	$101,439
154	Ipswich	$84	$65	30.3%	42.9%	$214	$34,442
155	Amherst	$84	$35	140.4%	48.1%	$318	$105,228
156	Wenham	$83	$35	136.9%	63.3%	$292	$46,462
157	Dracut	$82	$68	20.3%	8.6%	$233	$113,768
158	Somerset	$82	$73	11.7%	-8.8%	$216	$180,545
159	Westminster	$81	$9	785.5%	61.4%	$232	$15,693
160	Fairhaven	$80	$52	56.0%	13.0%	$196	$104,754
161	Bellingham	$80	$39	107.1%	47.5%	$223	$65,145
162	Alford	$79	$19	320.1%	88.7%	$181	$2,678
163	Aquinnah	$78	$37	113.7%	3.1%	$222	$5,432
164	Westborough	$78	$77	1.5%	25.8%	$233	$70,429
165	Sherborn	$76	$16	374.5%	48.7%	$229	$20,151
166	Freetown	$75	$42	76.2%	52.2%	$216	$16,925
167	Sturbridge	$74	$33	123.5%	69.5%	$190	$14,935
168	Plainville	$74	$76	-2.7%	59.8%	$196	$51,105
169	Mendon	$73	$8	858.5%	33.6%	$233	$23,143
170	Charlton	$71	$8	775.0%	98.5%	$223	$19,300
171	Topsfield	$71	$29	145.2%	55.8%	$211	$34,581
172	Ludlow	$70	$67	4.6%	28.1%	$204	$55,271
173	Dighton	$70	$48	46.6%	4.9%	$204	$19,907
174	Littleton	$70	$46	49.9%	39.5%	$203	$34,236
175	Sharon	$69	$66	5.8%	59.0%	$213	$52,228
176	Longmeadow	$69	$56	24.1%	23.6%	$189	$113,867
177	Ware	$68	$54	25.7%	42.2%	$163	$16,463
178	Upton	$66	$9	621.2%	78.8%	$196	$18,394
179	Truro	$66	$101	-34.9%	45.7%	$166	$6,918
180	Millville	$65	$25	162.3%	84.5%	$205	$37,932
181	Newbury	$65	$23	176.6%	41.4%	$184	$19,099
182	Rowley	$63	$34	83.8%	21.0%	$189	$19,745
183	Shrewsbury	$61	$77	-20.9%	14.1%	$171	$97,606
184	Stow	$60	$14	330.5%	32.2%	$178	$20,429
185	Northborough	$60	$56	7.3%	23.1%	$182	$47,636
186	Norfolk	$60	$16	274.1%	70.0%	$233	$43,312
187	Harvard	$60	$5	1148.0%	427.4%	$114	$7,641
188	Hopedale	$60	$50	20.2%	113.3%	$160	$67,164
189	Northbridge	$59	$38	56.2%	77.9%	$162	$42,951
190	Lakeville	$59	$56	4.7%	45.9%	$190	$17,349
191	Hubbardston	$56	$44	26.3%	37.7%	$187	$5,822
192	Shirley	$56	$27	109.4%	89.7%	$174	$22,636
193	Marion	$56	$27	103.9%	62.0%	$150	$20,411
194	Halifax	$55	$53	4.9%	35.7%	$158	$25,122
195	Sandisfield	$55	$31	79.6%	-17.3%	$149	$917
196	Gosnold	$54	$31	73.0%	165.5%	$96	$323
197	Ashburnham	$52	$38	36.1%	75.6%	$151	$7,094
198	Orange	$51	$40	28.1%	75.5%	$128	$10,821
199	Erving	$51	$16	222.8%	48.8%	$128	$5,330
200	West Tisbury	$50	$46	8.9%	23.6%	$134	$5,246
201	Blackstone	$48	$19	157.5%	75.5%	$135	$38,801
202	Edgartown	$47	$67	-30.5%	66.8%	$120	$6,576
203	Holden	$47	$27	73.3%	22.4%	$131	$20,729
204	Florida	$46	$13	259.9%	98.4%	$114	$1,225
205	Auburn	$46	$23	101.3%	20.0%	$118	$45,560
206	Tyringham	$45	$24	87.3%	49.6%	$117	$822
207	Hamilton	$45	$13	254.1%	28.6%	$147	$26,276
208	Royalston	$44	$37	21.3%	32.7%	$128	$1,357
209	Warren	$43	$25	71.7%	-22.6%	$112	$7,685