Philadelphia, PA vs Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY
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 Philadelphia, PA at $7,082 per resident and in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY at $1,132.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Philadelphia, PA at 16% of total revenue, whereas Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY relies most on other revenue at 103%.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 178.6% 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 | $107 | $1,138 |
| Income Tax | $8 | $24 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,288 | $412 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,790 | $3,823 |
| Other | $4,029 | $8,878 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,505 | $701 |
| Fire Protection | $7,082 | $1,132 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,215 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $956 |
| Public Welfare | $1,456 | $1,849 |
| Health | $229 | $379 |
| Hospitals | $4,048 | $779 |
| Parks & Recreation | $593 | $1,070 |
| Housing | $4,902 | $2,382 |
| Sewerage | $325 | $249 |
| Utilities | $4,222 | $3,844 |
| Interest on Debt | $3 | $1,517 |
| Other | $30,692 | $5,344 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.