Harrisburg, PA vs Pittsburgh, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Pittsburgh, PA outspends Harrisburg, PA by a wide margin per resident — $25,349 versus $73, a 34644% 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 69/100 (grade B) for Pittsburgh, PA — a 21-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
Pittsburgh spends 99.7% more per capita than Harrisburg ($25,276/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 | $35 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $201 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $31 |
| Intergovernmental | -$1,698 | $2,136 |
| Other | $0 | $1,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $784 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $605 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $4,568 |
| Hospitals | $73 | $214 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $399 |
| Housing | $0 | $4,276 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $248 |
| Utilities | $0 | $690 |
| Other | $0 | $13,566 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.