Pittsburgh, PA vs Harrisburg, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Pittsburgh, PA outspends Harrisburg, PA by a wide margin per resident — $25,349 versus $73, a 34644% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Harrisburg, PA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 69/100 (grade B) for Pittsburgh, PA — a 21-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.
Summary
Pittsburgh spends 34644.0% more per capita than Harrisburg ($25,276/person difference). Harrisburg, PA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $35 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $201 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $31 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,136 | -$1,698 |
| Other | $1,184 | $0 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $784 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $605 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $4,568 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $214 | $73 |
| Parks & Recreation | $399 | $0 |
| Housing | $4,276 | $0 |
| Sewerage | $248 | $0 |
| Utilities | $690 | $0 |
| Other | $13,566 | $0 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.