Erie, PA vs Pittsburgh, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Erie, PA outspends Pittsburgh, PA by a wide margin per resident — $43,394 versus $25,349, a 71% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Pittsburgh, PA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 42/100 (grade D) for Erie, PA — a 27-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 Pittsburgh, PA leads with fire protection at $784.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Erie, PA at 200% of total revenue, whereas Pittsburgh, PA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
Erie spends 71.2% more per capita than Pittsburgh ($18,044/person difference). Pittsburgh, PA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 69/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $35 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $201 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $31 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,241 | $2,136 |
| Other | $6,483 | $1,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,410 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $534 | $784 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,399 | $605 |
| Public Welfare | $61 | $4,568 |
| Health | $788 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $403 | $214 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $399 |
| Housing | $0 | $4,276 |
| Sewerage | $76 | $248 |
| Utilities | $21,061 | $690 |
| Other | $15,662 | $13,566 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.