Harrisburg, PA vs Erie, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Erie, PA outspends Harrisburg, PA by a wide margin per resident — $43,394 versus $73, a 59376% 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 42/100 (grade D) for Erie, PA — a 48-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
Erie spends 99.8% more per capita than Harrisburg ($43,321/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)
| Intergovernmental | -$1,698 | $3,241 |
| Other | $0 | $6,483 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,410 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $534 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $1,399 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $61 |
| Health | $0 | $788 |
| Hospitals | $73 | $403 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $76 |
| Utilities | $0 | $21,061 |
| Other | $0 | $15,662 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.