Bethlehem, PA vs Pittsburgh, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Pittsburgh, PA outspends Bethlehem, PA by a wide margin per resident — $25,349 versus $14,468, a 75% 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 69/100 (grade B) for Pittsburgh, PA — a 19-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. 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 Pittsburgh, PA at $784.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Bethlehem, PA at 16% of total revenue, whereas Pittsburgh, PA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
Pittsburgh spends 42.9% more per capita than Bethlehem ($10,882/person difference). Bethlehem, PA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 88/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1 | $35 |
| Sales Tax | $405 | $201 |
| Income Tax | $308 | $31 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,237 | $2,136 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,296 | $0 |
| Other | $3,969 | $1,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,642 | $784 |
| Highways & Roads | $668 | $605 |
| Public Welfare | $1,218 | $4,568 |
| Health | $187 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $526 | $214 |
| Parks & Recreation | $634 | $399 |
| Housing | $2,229 | $4,276 |
| Sewerage | $68 | $248 |
| Utilities | $2,000 | $690 |
| Other | $5,296 | $13,566 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.