Erie, PA vs Bethlehem, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Erie, PA outspends Bethlehem, PA by a wide margin per resident — $43,394 versus $14,468, a 200% 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 42/100 (grade D) for Erie, PA — a 46-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. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Erie, PA leads with police at $3,410 per resident, while Bethlehem, PA leads with fire protection at $1,642.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 200% of total revenue in Erie, PA and 16% in Bethlehem, PA.
Summary
Erie spends 199.9% more per capita than Bethlehem ($28,926/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 | $0 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $405 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $308 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,241 | $3,237 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,296 |
| Other | $6,483 | $3,969 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,410 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $534 | $1,642 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,399 | $668 |
| Public Welfare | $61 | $1,218 |
| Health | $788 | $187 |
| Hospitals | $403 | $526 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $634 |
| Housing | $0 | $2,229 |
| Sewerage | $76 | $68 |
| Utilities | $21,061 | $2,000 |
| Other | $15,662 | $5,296 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.