Scranton, PA vs Harrisburg, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Scranton, PA outspends Harrisburg, PA by a wide margin per resident — $10,446 versus $73, a 14217% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Harrisburg, PA edges Scranton, PA on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 90/100 (grade A) to 83/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them.
Summary
Scranton spends 14217.2% more per capita than Harrisburg ($10,373/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 | $28 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $3 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $1,114 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $114 | -$1,698 |
| Other | $47 | $0 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,029 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $156 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $115 | $0 |
| Health | $411 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $73 |
| Parks & Recreation | $130 | $0 |
| Housing | $3,373 | $0 |
| Utilities | $668 | $0 |
| Other | $4,564 | $0 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.