Harrisburg, PA vs Allentown, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Allentown, PA outspends Harrisburg, PA by a wide margin per resident — $15,252 versus $73, a 20805% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Harrisburg, PA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 68/100 (grade B) for Allentown, PA — a 22-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.
Summary
Allentown spends 99.5% more per capita than Harrisburg ($15,180/person difference). Harrisburg, PA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $37 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $55 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,166 |
| Intergovernmental | -$1,698 | $210 |
| Other | $0 | $3,410 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $333 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $1,275 |
| Hospitals | $73 | $1,505 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $620 |
| Housing | $0 | $3,312 |
| Utilities | $0 | $2,206 |
| Other | $0 | $6,001 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.