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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Lancaster, PA

Population: 57,970 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

C
51/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$3.0B
Per Capita
$51,351
Total Revenue
$1.4B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
47.2%$1.4B
Utilities
14.5%$432.3M
Hospitals
12.4%$370.3M
Police
10.2%$305.1M
Fire Protection
7.9%$235.8M
Housing & Community Development
5.1%$151.8M
Highways & Roads
1.0%$29.0M
Health
0.8%$24.2M
Parks & Recreation
0.5%$16.1M
Interest on Debt
0.1%$4.4M
Public Welfare
0.0%$1.4M

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

Sales Tax
0.3%$4.2M
Intergovernmental
100.0%$1.4B
Other
18.6%$267.4M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$5,263/person
Fire Protection$4,067/person
Highways & Roads$500/person
Parks & Recreation$278/person
Health$417/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)45/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Lancaster stacks up against another city.

vs Philadelphia, PAvs Pittsburgh, PAvs Allentown, 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

Allentown, PA

Pop. 125K

B
Total Spending
$1.9B
Per Capita
$15,252

Erie, PA

Pop. 95K

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

Compare Lancaster With

Philadelphia, PA

Spending: $56,272/person · Grade: D

Pittsburgh, PA

Spending: $25,349/person · Grade: B

Allentown, PA

Spending: $15,252/person · Grade: B

Erie, PA

Spending: $43,394/person · Grade: D

Frequently Asked Questions

Lancaster, PA spends $51,351 per resident, based on total expenditures of $3.0B for a population of 57,970. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (51/100).

Lancaster, PA has total expenditures of $3.0B and total revenue of $1.4B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Lancaster, 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.

Lancaster, PA has a Fiscal Health Score of C (51/100). 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.

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