Tulsa, OK vs Philadelphia, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Tulsa, OK by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $5,250, a 972% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Tulsa, OK holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 56/100 (grade C) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 11-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Tulsa, OK reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Philadelphia, PA carries $1,069 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Tulsa, OK leads with health at $762 per resident, while Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 90.7% more per capita than Tulsa ($51,022/person difference). Tulsa, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 56/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $97 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,790 |
| Other | $53 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $628 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $196 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $257 | $1,215 |
| Public Welfare | $86 | $1,456 |
| Health | $762 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $154 | $593 |
| Housing | $350 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $27 | $325 |
| Utilities | $41 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $3 |
| Other | $2,748 | $30,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.