Lancaster, PA vs Erie, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lancaster, PA spends 18% more per resident than Erie, PA: $51,351 against $43,394. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Lancaster, PA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 51/100 (grade C) against 42/100 (grade D) for Erie, PA — a 9-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. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: police leads in Lancaster, PA at $5,263 per resident and in Erie, PA at $3,410.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Lancaster, PA at 100% of total revenue, whereas Erie, PA relies most on other revenue at 200%.
Summary
Lancaster spends 18.3% more per capita than Erie ($7,957/person difference). Lancaster, PA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 51/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $72 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $24,786 | $3,241 |
| Other | $4,613 | $6,483 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $5,263 | $3,410 |
| Fire Protection | $4,067 | $534 |
| Highways & Roads | $500 | $1,399 |
| Public Welfare | $24 | $61 |
| Health | $417 | $788 |
| Hospitals | $6,387 | $403 |
| Parks & Recreation | $278 | $0 |
| Housing | $2,619 | $0 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $76 |
| Utilities | $7,457 | $21,061 |
| Interest on Debt | $76 | $0 |
| Other | $24,262 | $15,662 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.