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

Philadelphia, PA

Population: 1,593,208 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

D
45/100

Below average — significant fiscal challenges in multiple areas

Total Spending
$89.7B
Per Capita
$56,272
Total Revenue
$64.4B
Total Debt
$1.7B

Spending Breakdown

Other
54.5%$48.9B
Fire Protection
12.6%$11.3B
Housing & Community Development
8.7%$7.8B
Utilities
7.5%$6.7B
Hospitals
7.2%$6.4B
Police
2.7%$2.4B
Public Welfare
2.6%$2.3B
Highways & Roads
2.2%$1.9B
Parks & Recreation
1.1%$944.9M
Sewerage
0.6%$517.6M
Health
0.4%$365.0M
Interest on Debt
0.0%$4.7M

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

Sales Tax
0.3%$171.0M
Income Tax
0.0%$13.1M
Intergovernmental
15.6%$10.0B
Charges & Fees
6.9%$4.4B
Other
10.0%$6.4B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$1,505/person
Fire Protection$7,082/person
Highways & Roads$1,215/person
Parks & Recreation$593/person
Health$229/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)17/100
Debt Burden (20%)53/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$1.7B
Long-Term Debt$237.9M
Debt Per Capita$1,069
Cash & Securities$1.0B

Compare Cities

See how Philadelphia stacks up against another city.

vs Pittsburgh, PAvs Allentown, 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

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

Reading, PA

Pop. 95K

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

Compare Philadelphia With

Pittsburgh, PA

Spending: $25,349/person · Grade: B

Allentown, PA

Spending: $15,252/person · Grade: B

Erie, PA

Spending: $43,394/person · Grade: D

Reading, PA

Spending: $16,327/person · Grade: A

Frequently Asked Questions

Philadelphia, PA spends $56,272 per resident, based on total expenditures of $89.7B for a population of 1,593,208. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of D (45/100).

Philadelphia, PA has total expenditures of $89.7B and total revenue of $64.4B. The city carries $1.7B in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Philadelphia, 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.

Philadelphia, PA has a Fiscal Health Score of D (45/100). 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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