Harrisburg, PA vs Reading, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Reading, PA outspends Harrisburg, PA by a wide margin per resident — $16,327 versus $73, a 22278% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Harrisburg, PA edges Reading, PA on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 90/100 (grade A) to 86/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Harrisburg, PA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Reading, PA carries $87 per resident.
Summary
Reading spends 99.6% more per capita than Harrisburg ($16,254/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 | $47 |
| Sales Tax | $0 | $60 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $956 |
| Intergovernmental | -$1,698 | $767 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,742 |
| Other | $0 | $6,157 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $256 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $92 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $1,502 |
| Health | $0 | $180 |
| Hospitals | $73 | $672 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $826 |
| Housing | $0 | $4,415 |
| Utilities | $0 | $3,304 |
| Other | $0 | $5,080 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.