Philadelphia, PA vs New York, NY
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: Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082 per resident, while New York, NY leads with education at $37,892.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 16% of total revenue in Philadelphia, PA and 14% in New York, NY.
Summary
New York spends 56.4% 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 | $0 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $107 | $399 |
| Income Tax | $8 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,288 | $20,520 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,790 | $1,835 |
| Other | $4,029 | $3,593 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,505 | $1,512 |
| Fire Protection | $7,082 | $11,050 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,215 | $221 |
| Education | $0 | $37,892 |
| Public Welfare | $1,456 | $1,116 |
| Health | $229 | $417 |
| Hospitals | $4,048 | $6,467 |
| Parks & Recreation | $593 | $868 |
| Housing | $4,902 | $7,137 |
| Sewerage | $325 | $315 |
| Utilities | $4,222 | $13,371 |
| Interest on Debt | $3 | $11,706 |
| General Admin | $0 | $11,668 |
| Other | $30,692 | $25,380 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.