Washington, DC vs Philadelphia, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Philadelphia, PA by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $56,272, a 332% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Philadelphia, PA edges Washington, DC on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 45/100 (grade D) to 41/100 (grade D). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Philadelphia, PA carries the lighter load at $1,069 per resident versus $2,516 for Washington, DC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224 per resident, while Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Washington, DC and 16% in Philadelphia, PA.
Summary
Washington spends 332.4% more per capita than Philadelphia ($187,069/person difference). Philadelphia, PA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (D, 45/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $25 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $2,790 |
| Other | $11,518 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,183 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $1,215 |
| Education | $53,224 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $1,456 |
| Health | $1,009 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $593 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $325 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $3 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $0 |
| Other | $48,155 | $30,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.