Pittsburgh, PA vs Philadelphia, 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 Pittsburgh, PA at $784 per resident and in Philadelphia, PA at $7,082.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Pittsburgh, PA and 16% in Philadelphia, PA.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 55.0% 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 | $35 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $201 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $31 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,136 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,790 |
| Other | $1,184 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $784 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $605 | $1,215 |
| Public Welfare | $4,568 | $1,456 |
| Health | $0 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $214 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $399 | $593 |
| Housing | $4,276 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $248 | $325 |
| Utilities | $690 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $3 |
| Other | $13,566 | $30,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.