Erie, PA vs Scranton, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Erie, PA outspends Scranton, PA by a wide margin per resident — $43,394 versus $10,446, a 315% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Scranton, PA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 42/100 (grade D) for Erie, PA — a 41-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 Scranton, PA leads with fire protection at $1,029.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Erie, PA at 200% of total revenue, whereas Scranton, PA relies most on income tax at 11%.
Summary
Erie spends 315.4% more per capita than Scranton ($32,948/person difference). Scranton, PA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $28 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $3 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,114 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,241 | $114 |
| Other | $6,483 | $47 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,410 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $534 | $1,029 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,399 | $156 |
| Public Welfare | $61 | $115 |
| Health | $788 | $411 |
| Hospitals | $403 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $130 |
| Housing | $0 | $3,373 |
| Sewerage | $76 | $0 |
| Utilities | $21,061 | $668 |
| Other | $15,662 | $4,564 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.