Bethlehem, PA vs Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia, PA outspends Bethlehem, PA by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $14,468, a 289% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Bethlehem, PA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 88/100 (grade A) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 43-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Bethlehem, PA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Philadelphia, PA carries $1,069 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Bethlehem, PA at $1,642 per resident and in Philadelphia, PA at $7,082.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Bethlehem, PA at 16% of total revenue, whereas Philadelphia, PA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 16%.