Philadelphia, PA vs Harrisburg, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Harrisburg, PA by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $73, a 77027% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Harrisburg, PA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 45-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Harrisburg, PA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Philadelphia, PA carries $1,069 per resident.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 77027.5% more per capita than Harrisburg ($56,199/person difference). Harrisburg, PA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $107 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $8 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,288 | -$1,698 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,790 | $0 |
| Other | $4,029 | $0 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,505 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $7,082 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,215 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,456 | $0 |
| Health | $229 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $4,048 | $73 |
| Parks & Recreation | $593 | $0 |
| Housing | $4,902 | $0 |
| Sewerage | $325 | $0 |
| Utilities | $4,222 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $3 | $0 |
| Other | $30,692 | $0 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.