New York, NY vs Philadelphia, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Philadelphia, PA by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $56,272, a 129% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
New York, NY holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, New York, NY carries the lighter load at $462 per resident versus $1,069 for Philadelphia, PA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: New York, NY leads with education at $37,892 per resident, while Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in New York, NY and 16% in Philadelphia, PA.
Summary
New York spends 129.5% more per capita than Philadelphia ($72,847/person difference). New York, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $399 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $19 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,520 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,835 | $2,790 |
| Other | $3,593 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,512 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $11,050 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $1,215 |
| Education | $37,892 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,116 | $1,456 |
| Health | $417 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $6,467 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $868 | $593 |
| Housing | $7,137 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $315 | $325 |
| Utilities | $13,371 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $11,706 | $3 |
| General Admin | $11,668 | $0 |
| Other | $25,380 | $30,692 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.