Allentown, PA vs Harrisburg, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Allentown, PA outspends Harrisburg, PA by a wide margin per resident — $15,252 versus $73, a 20805% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Harrisburg, PA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 68/100 (grade B) for Allentown, PA — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them.
Summary
Allentown spends 20805.3% more per capita than Harrisburg ($15,180/person difference). Harrisburg, PA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $37 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $55 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $1,166 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $210 | -$1,698 |
| Other | $3,410 | $0 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $333 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,275 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,505 | $73 |
| Parks & Recreation | $620 | $0 |
| Housing | $3,312 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,206 | $0 |
| Other | $6,001 | $0 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.