Philadelphia, PA vs Miami, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Miami, FL by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $28,195, a 100% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Miami, 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.
Miami, FL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Philadelphia, PA carries $1,069 per resident. 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 Miami, FL at $7,399.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 16% of total revenue in Philadelphia, PA and 100% in Miami, FL.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 99.6% more per capita than Miami ($28,077/person difference). Miami, 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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $107 | $1,647 |
| Income Tax | $8 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,288 | $15,037 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,790 | $0 |
| Other | $4,029 | $1,399 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,505 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $7,082 | $7,399 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,215 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,456 | $109 |
| Health | $229 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $4,048 | $1,499 |
| Parks & Recreation | $593 | $1,783 |
| Housing | $4,902 | $6,840 |
| Sewerage | $325 | $699 |
| Utilities | $4,222 | $1,295 |
| Interest on Debt | $3 | $0 |
| Other | $30,692 | $8,572 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.