Economy

Maintaining


Spending of Local Governments

What does this measure?

The annual per-capita spending for cities, towns, villages, and county within a county, adjusted for inflation.

Why is this important?

Government provides critical services to communities, but the cost to taxpayers can be burdensome and can hinder efforts to attract and retain business.

How does our county compare?

Local governments in Lancaster County spent $1,145 per resident in 2020, up 34% from 2000, but down from a high of $1,921 in 2010.

Local government spending across Pennsylvania was higher than Lancaster, at $1,812 per resident in 2020, an increase of 21% from 2000. Berks, one of Lancaster's neighboring counties, had higher spending of $1,257 per capita in 2020 as well as Chester at $1,172 and Dauphin at $1,171. Cumberland ($998), Lebanon ($702), and York ($824) were significantly below.

Notes about the data

Data are presented in constant 2021 dollars.

Spending of Local Governments
200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020
Pennsylvania$1,492$1,470$1,592$1,590$1,594$1,615$2,276$1,640$2,809$1,760$1,995$1,840$1,829$1,796$1,783$1,713$1,717$1,708$1,751$1,787$1,812
Lancaster County$856$706$907$929$834$883$1,727$1,048$501$1,286$1,921$1,355$1,785$779$1,905$1,015$1,308$1,049$1,385$1,301$1,145
Berks County$1,048$1,042$1,152$1,186$1,194$1,265$1,507$1,400$1,693$1,458$1,285$1,269$1,337$1,219$1,309$1,399$1,228$1,228$1,200$1,574$1,257
Chester County$969$906$1,099$1,053$1,209$1,223$1,175$1,304$1,362$1,238$984$936$1,118$1,017$1,048$1,075$1,136$1,119$1,098$1,207$1,172
Cumberland County$775$720$767$830$818$924$976$916$812$898$846$1,261$1,055$1,056$988$932$1,155$987$912$1,232$998
Dauphin County$1,209$1,138$1,236$1,252$1,233$1,239$1,626$1,308$2,546$1,355$888$1,787$1,434$1,427$1,463$1,180$1,309$1,158$1,192$1,300$1,171
Lebanon County$663$478$496$582$571$601$938$684$764$787$528$642$1,001$1,047$626$732$740$681$740$729$702
York County$907$879$914$941$932$955$1,076$1,030$1,224$1,029$1,019$1,037$857$988$936$947$985$925$780$843$824

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development
Notes: Figures are in constant 2021 dollars.




Total Spending of Local Governments
200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020
Pennsylvania$17,276,870,813$17,535,424,895$19,038,085,206$19,424,996,467$19,312,787,774$19,507,692,172$14,293,543,158$20,051,480,507$15,913,488,982$22,082,553,989$17,065,505,609$16,894,373,514$18,023,254,143$18,699,075,679$19,353,625,795$21,489,162,515$21,535,020,967$21,387,641,346$21,696,966,160$22,331,202,331$22,659,671,816
Lancaster County$361,853,502$288,180,129$417,440,026$437,329,379$392,611,722$415,824,219$211,915,031$493,192,055$14,039,339$605,360,876$63,668,477$66,277,980$170,206,680$66,305,978$293,317,808$527,012,888$677,778,313$543,748,923$717,786,747$674,205,960$585,095,904
Berks County$352,304,937$381,467,083$427,592,865$440,021,226$442,957,808$469,271,336$503,308,994$508,736,624$491,504,738$530,038,203$519,605,772$508,856,364$550,180,157$497,538,334$538,734,014$573,311,030$505,327,764$505,196,214$493,662,548$647,660,453$517,077,935
Chester County$363,702,642$361,861,556$476,578,951$456,319,238$514,808,620$530,369,564$291,293,257$565,113,445$116,636,055$530,384,134$463,496,657$255,814,630$542,321,755$506,747,539$522,973,240$534,869,202$565,015,982$558,451,422$527,272,131$602,078,250$584,902,009
Cumberland County$144,781,251$149,244,121$155,344,241$174,522,552$164,608,899$193,021,457$42,854,352$196,761,305$20,022,340$192,514,784$56,692,531$157,425,109$105,400,831$91,938,677$135,679,809$219,241,332$271,682,243$232,009,595$214,473,358$289,601,490$234,774,049
Dauphin County$281,204,553$286,471,761$304,579,683$315,205,545$302,436,471$311,886,713$181,939,672$328,581,049$161,446,889$341,194,191$87,198,910$198,066,933$231,201,936$264,488,368$282,615,430$316,405,202$351,020,901$309,676,291$318,572,614$347,641,519$309,412,802
Lebanon County$75,466,884$45,793,032$47,543,013$70,039,217$68,720,365$72,311,525$2,972,945$82,266,609$3,452,270$94,705,963$7,087,105$7,493,167$41,704,979$37,572,793$36,373,956$97,711,552$98,763,470$90,969,871$98,771,845$97,340,380$93,761,772
York County$303,547,651$332,135,945$336,339,842$357,396,918$354,157,619$362,897,386$213,845,962$391,505,747$265,333,485$391,260,873$338,359,790$448,654,553$332,966,844$429,381,651$403,504,695$407,989,793$424,634,028$398,081,223$301,645,532$326,216,863$322,357,621

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development
Notes: Figures are in constant 2021 dollars.




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