Lancaster, PA vs Reading, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Summary
Lancaster spends 214.5% more per capita than Reading ($35,023/person difference). Reading, PA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 86/100).
Fiscal Health Score
C
51/100
Budget Balance45
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
A
86/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency74
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
Key Metrics
Metric
Lancaster
Reading
Total Spending
$3.0B
$1.5B
Spending / Capita
$51,351
$16,327
Total Revenue
$1.4B
$2.1B
Revenue / Capita
$24,786
$22,211
Total Debt
$0
$8.3M
Debt / Capita
$0
$87
Population
57,970
94,601
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0
Per Capita Spending by Department
Police
Lancaster$5,263
Reading$0
Fire Protection
Lancaster$4,067
Reading$256
Highways & Roads
Lancaster$500
Reading$92
Parks & Recreation
Lancaster$278
Reading$826
Health
Lancaster$417
Reading$180
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
LancasterReading
| Property Tax | $0 | $47 |
| Sales Tax | $72 | $60 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $956 |
| Intergovernmental | $24,786 | $767 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,742 |
| Other | $4,613 | $6,157 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
LancasterReading
| Police | $5,263 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $4,067 | $256 |
| Highways & Roads | $500 | $92 |
| Public Welfare | $24 | $1,502 |
| Health | $417 | $180 |
| Hospitals | $6,387 | $672 |
| Parks & Recreation | $278 | $826 |
| Housing | $2,619 | $4,415 |
| Utilities | $7,457 | $3,304 |
| Interest on Debt | $76 | $0 |
| Other | $24,262 | $5,080 |
C
Lancaster, PA
Fiscal Health Score: 51/100
Average fiscal health
A
Reading, PA
Fiscal Health Score: 86/100
Excellent fiscal health