Lancaster, PA vs Harrisburg, 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 70282.0% 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 | $72 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $24,786 | -$1,698 |
| Other | $4,613 | $0 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $5,263 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $4,067 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $500 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $24 | $0 |
| Health | $417 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $6,387 | $73 |
| Parks & Recreation | $278 | $0 |
| Housing | $2,619 | $0 |
| Utilities | $7,457 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $76 | $0 |
| Other | $24,262 | $0 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.