Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Allentown, PA

Population: 125,292 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

B
68/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$1.9B
Per Capita
$15,252
Total Revenue
$1.0B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
39.3%$751.9M
Housing & Community Development
21.7%$414.9M
Utilities
14.5%$276.4M
Hospitals
9.9%$188.6M
Public Welfare
8.4%$159.8M
Parks & Recreation
4.1%$77.7M
Fire Protection
2.2%$41.7M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.5%$4.6M
Sales Tax
0.7%$6.8M
Income Tax
14.4%$146.1M
Intergovernmental
2.6%$26.4M
Other
42.1%$427.3M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$333/person
Parks & Recreation$620/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)22/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)90/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)84/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Allentown stacks up against another city.

vs Philadelphia, PAvs Pittsburgh, PAvs Erie, PA
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

Pop. 1.6M

D
Total Spending
$89.7B
Per Capita
$56,272

Pittsburgh, PA

Pop. 304K

B
Total Spending
$7.7B
Per Capita
$25,349

Erie, PA

Pop. 95K

D
Total Spending
$4.1B
Per Capita
$43,394

Reading, PA

Pop. 95K

A
Total Spending
$1.5B
Per Capita
$16,327

Compare Allentown With

Philadelphia, PA

Spending: $56,272/person · Grade: D

Pittsburgh, PA

Spending: $25,349/person · Grade: B

Erie, PA

Spending: $43,394/person · Grade: D

Reading, PA

Spending: $16,327/person · Grade: A

Frequently Asked Questions

Allentown, PA spends $15,252 per resident, based on total expenditures of $1.9B for a population of 125,292. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (68/100).

Allentown, PA has total expenditures of $1.9B and total revenue of $1.0B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Allentown, PA employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Allentown, PA has a Fiscal Health Score of B (68/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

Last updated: