Philadelphia, PA vs Jacksonville, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Jacksonville, FL by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $31,456, a 79% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Jacksonville, FL holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 53/100 (grade C) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Philadelphia, PA carries the lighter load at $1,069 per resident versus $2,821 for Jacksonville, FL. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Philadelphia, PA at $7,082 per resident and in Jacksonville, FL at $9,436.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 16% of total revenue in Philadelphia, PA and 14% in Jacksonville, FL.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 78.9% more per capita than Jacksonville ($24,816/person difference). Jacksonville, FL has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 53/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $107 | $233 |
| Income Tax | $8 | $762 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,288 | $7,348 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,790 | $2,119 |
| Other | $4,029 | $4,705 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,505 | $18 |
| Fire Protection | $7,082 | $9,436 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,215 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,456 | $486 |
| Health | $229 | $332 |
| Hospitals | $4,048 | $557 |
| Parks & Recreation | $593 | $1,329 |
| Housing | $4,902 | $5,572 |
| Sewerage | $325 | $176 |
| Utilities | $4,222 | $1,835 |
| Interest on Debt | $3 | $1,942 |
| Other | $30,692 | $9,771 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.