Las Vegas, NV vs Philadelphia, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $9,085, a 519% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 37-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Las Vegas, NV reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Philadelphia, PA carries $1,069 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Las Vegas, NV leads with parks and recreation at $1,028 per resident, while Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Las Vegas, NV at 34% of total revenue, whereas Philadelphia, PA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 16%.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 83.9% more per capita than Las Vegas ($47,187/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $50 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $386 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,137 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,790 |
| Other | $2,806 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $945 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $280 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $45 | $1,215 |
| Public Welfare | $705 | $1,456 |
| Health | $0 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $356 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,028 | $593 |
| Housing | $23 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $332 | $325 |
| Utilities | $129 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $3 |
| Other | $5,243 | $30,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.