Harrisburg, PA vs Lancaster, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lancaster, PA outspends Harrisburg, PA by a wide margin per resident — $51,351 versus $73, a 70282% 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 51/100 (grade C) for Lancaster, PA — a 39-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
Lancaster spends 99.9% more per capita than Harrisburg ($51,278/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)
| Sales Tax | $0 | $72 |
| Intergovernmental | -$1,698 | $24,786 |
| Other | $0 | $4,613 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $5,263 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $4,067 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $500 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $24 |
| Health | $0 | $417 |
| Hospitals | $73 | $6,387 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $278 |
| Housing | $0 | $2,619 |
| Utilities | $0 | $7,457 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $76 |
| Other | $0 | $24,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.