Philadelphia, PA vs Portland, OR
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Portland, OR by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $23,675, a 138% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Portland, OR holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 63/100 (grade C) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Philadelphia, PA carries the lighter load at $1,069 per resident versus $1,574 for Portland, OR. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082 per resident, while Portland, OR leads with parks and recreation at $2,477.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 16% of total revenue in Philadelphia, PA and 19% in Portland, OR.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 137.7% more per capita than Portland ($32,597/person difference). Portland, OR has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $107 | $1,695 |
| Income Tax | $8 | $130 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,288 | $8,979 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,790 | $3,883 |
| Other | $4,029 | $7,916 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,505 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $7,082 | $1,700 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,215 | $139 |
| Public Welfare | $1,456 | $3,607 |
| Health | $229 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $4,048 | $2,893 |
| Parks & Recreation | $593 | $2,477 |
| Housing | $4,902 | $3,694 |
| Sewerage | $325 | $630 |
| Utilities | $4,222 | $1,845 |
| Interest on Debt | $3 | $0 |
| Other | $30,692 | $6,689 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.