Pittsburgh, PA vs Bethlehem, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Pittsburgh, PA outspends Bethlehem, PA by a wide margin per resident — $25,349 versus $14,468, a 75% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Bethlehem, PA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 88/100 (grade A) against 69/100 (grade B) for Pittsburgh, PA — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: fire protection leads in Pittsburgh, PA at $784 per resident and in Bethlehem, PA at $1,642.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Pittsburgh, PA at 14% of total revenue, whereas Bethlehem, PA relies most on other revenue at 16%.
Summary
Pittsburgh spends 75.2% more per capita than Bethlehem ($10,882/person difference). Bethlehem, PA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 88/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $35 | $1 |
| Sales Tax | $201 | $405 |
| Income Tax | $31 | $308 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,136 | $3,237 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,296 |
| Other | $1,184 | $3,969 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $784 | $1,642 |
| Highways & Roads | $605 | $668 |
| Public Welfare | $4,568 | $1,218 |
| Health | $0 | $187 |
| Hospitals | $214 | $526 |
| Parks & Recreation | $399 | $634 |
| Housing | $4,276 | $2,229 |
| Sewerage | $248 | $68 |
| Utilities | $690 | $2,000 |
| Other | $13,566 | $5,296 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.