Fresno, CA vs Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia, PA spends 30% more per resident than Fresno, CA: $56,272 against $43,387. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.

Fresno, CA edges Philadelphia, PA on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 50/100 (grade C) to 45/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.

Fresno, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Philadelphia, PA carries $1,069 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942 per resident, while Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Fresno, CA at 19% of total revenue, whereas Philadelphia, PA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 16%.