Lancaster, PA vs Pittsburgh, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lancaster, PA outspends Pittsburgh, PA by a wide margin per resident — $51,351 versus $25,349, a 103% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Pittsburgh, PA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 51/100 (grade C) for Lancaster, PA — a 18-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. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Lancaster, PA leads with police at $5,263 per resident, while Pittsburgh, PA leads with fire protection at $784.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Lancaster, PA and 14% in Pittsburgh, PA.
Summary
Lancaster spends 102.6% more per capita than Pittsburgh ($26,001/person difference). Pittsburgh, PA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 69/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $35 |
| Sales Tax | $72 | $201 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $31 |
| Intergovernmental | $24,786 | $2,136 |
| Other | $4,613 | $1,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $5,263 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $4,067 | $784 |
| Highways & Roads | $500 | $605 |
| Public Welfare | $24 | $4,568 |
| Health | $417 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $6,387 | $214 |
| Parks & Recreation | $278 | $399 |
| Housing | $2,619 | $4,276 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $248 |
| Utilities | $7,457 | $690 |
| Interest on Debt | $76 | $0 |
| Other | $24,262 | $13,566 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.