Philadelphia, PA vs Washington, DC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Philadelphia, PA by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $56,272, a 332% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Philadelphia, PA edges Washington, DC on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 45/100 (grade D) to 41/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Philadelphia, PA carries the lighter load at $1,069 per resident versus $2,516 for Washington, DC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082 per resident, while Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 16% of total revenue in Philadelphia, PA and 7% in Washington, DC.
Summary
Washington spends 76.9% more per capita than Philadelphia ($187,069/person difference). Philadelphia, PA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 45/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $107 | $991 |
| Income Tax | $8 | $141 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,288 | $18,754 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,790 | $4,070 |
| Other | $4,029 | $11,518 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,505 | $4,183 |
| Fire Protection | $7,082 | $4,262 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,215 | $1,435 |
| Education | $0 | $53,224 |
| Public Welfare | $1,456 | $2,498 |
| Health | $229 | $1,009 |
| Hospitals | $4,048 | $17,668 |
| Parks & Recreation | $593 | $5,459 |
| Housing | $4,902 | $10,296 |
| Sewerage | $325 | $2,881 |
| Utilities | $4,222 | $88,990 |
| Interest on Debt | $3 | $58 |
| General Admin | $0 | $3,225 |
| Other | $30,692 | $48,155 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.