Philadelphia, PA vs Pittsburgh, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Pittsburgh, PA by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $25,349, a 122% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Pittsburgh, PA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 24-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Pittsburgh, PA 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 Pittsburgh, PA at $784.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 16% of total revenue in Philadelphia, PA and 14% in Pittsburgh, PA.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 122.0% more per capita than Pittsburgh ($30,923/person difference). Pittsburgh, PA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 69/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $35 |
| Sales Tax | $107 | $201 |
| Income Tax | $8 | $31 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,288 | $2,136 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,790 | $0 |
| Other | $4,029 | $1,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,505 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $7,082 | $784 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,215 | $605 |
| Public Welfare | $1,456 | $4,568 |
| Health | $229 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $4,048 | $214 |
| Parks & Recreation | $593 | $399 |
| Housing | $4,902 | $4,276 |
| Sewerage | $325 | $248 |
| Utilities | $4,222 | $690 |
| Interest on Debt | $3 | $0 |
| Other | $30,692 | $13,566 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.