Scranton, PA vs Allentown, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Allentown, PA spends 46% more per resident than Scranton, PA: $15,252 against $10,446. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Scranton, PA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 68/100 (grade B) for Allentown, PA — a 15-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. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Scranton, PA leads with fire protection at $1,029 per resident, while Allentown, PA leads with parks and recreation at $620.
They also fund themselves differently: income tax is the largest single revenue source in Scranton, PA at 11% of total revenue, whereas Allentown, PA relies most on other revenue at 42%.
Summary
Allentown spends 31.5% more per capita than Scranton ($4,807/person difference). Scranton, PA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $28 | $37 |
| Sales Tax | $3 | $55 |
| Income Tax | $1,114 | $1,166 |
| Intergovernmental | $114 | $210 |
| Other | $47 | $3,410 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,029 | $333 |
| Highways & Roads | $156 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $115 | $1,275 |
| Health | $411 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,505 |
| Parks & Recreation | $130 | $620 |
| Housing | $3,373 | $3,312 |
| Utilities | $668 | $2,206 |
| Other | $4,564 | $6,001 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.