Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY vs Philadelphia, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $20,200, a 179% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Philadelphia, PA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 45/100 (grade D) against 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Philadelphia, PA carries the lighter load at $1,069 per resident versus $3,553 for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY at $1,132 per resident and in Philadelphia, PA at $7,082.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY at 103% of total revenue, whereas Philadelphia, PA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 16%.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 64.1% more per capita than Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) ($36,072/person difference). Philadelphia, PA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 45/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,138 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $24 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $412 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,823 | $2,790 |
| Other | $8,878 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $701 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $1,132 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $1,215 |
| Education | $956 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,849 | $1,456 |
| Health | $379 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $779 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,070 | $593 |
| Housing | $2,382 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $249 | $325 |
| Utilities | $3,844 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,517 | $3 |
| Other | $5,344 | $30,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.