Scranton, PA vs Erie, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Erie, PA outspends Scranton, PA by a wide margin per resident — $43,394 versus $10,446, a 315% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Scranton, PA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 42/100 (grade D) for Erie, PA — a 41-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 Erie, PA leads with police at $3,410.
They also fund themselves differently: income tax is the largest single revenue source in Scranton, PA at 11% of total revenue, whereas Erie, PA relies most on other revenue at 200%.
Summary
Erie spends 75.9% more per capita than Scranton ($32,948/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $3 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $1,114 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $114 | $3,241 |
| Other | $47 | $6,483 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,410 |
| Fire Protection | $1,029 | $534 |
| Highways & Roads | $156 | $1,399 |
| Public Welfare | $115 | $61 |
| Health | $411 | $788 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $403 |
| Parks & Recreation | $130 | $0 |
| Housing | $3,373 | $0 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $76 |
| Utilities | $668 | $21,061 |
| Other | $4,564 | $15,662 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.