Philadelphia, PA vs Oklahoma City, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Oklahoma City, OK by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $18,074, a 211% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oklahoma City, OK holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Philadelphia, PA carries the lighter load at $1,069 per resident versus $3,520 for Oklahoma City, OK. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082 per resident, while Oklahoma City, OK leads with parks and recreation at $2,014.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 16% of total revenue in Philadelphia, PA and 19% in Oklahoma City, OK.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 211.3% more per capita than Oklahoma City ($38,198/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $107 | $763 |
| Income Tax | $8 | $1,037 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,288 | $6,852 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,790 | $3,256 |
| Other | $4,029 | $1,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,505 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $7,082 | $513 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,215 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,456 | $1,525 |
| Health | $229 | $5 |
| Hospitals | $4,048 | $2,044 |
| Parks & Recreation | $593 | $2,014 |
| Housing | $4,902 | $2,857 |
| Sewerage | $325 | $0 |
| Utilities | $4,222 | $4,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $3 | $707 |
| Other | $30,692 | $3,886 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.