Economy
Spending for Local Government
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 $1,100 per resident in 2023, down 47% from a high of $2,100 in 2010.
Local government spending across Pennsylvania was higher than Lancaster, at $2,000 per resident in 2023, an decrease of 11% from 2010. In 2023, Lancaster had higher per capita government spending than all neighboring counties; Chester was similar ($1,100), while Cumberland, Dauphin, and Berks (all around $1,000), York ($900), and Lebanon ($800) were all below.
Notes about the data
Data are presented in constant 2023 dollars.
Spending of Local Governments
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $2,243 | $2,069 | $2,057 | $2,019 | $2,004 | $1,926 | $1,931 | $1,921 | $1,968 | $2,010 | $2,037 | $1,920 | $1,918 | $1,987 |
| Lancaster County | $2,160 | $1,524 | $2,007 | $876 | $2,142 | $1,141 | $1,471 | $1,180 | $1,558 | $1,463 | $1,288 | $1,284 | $1,268 | $1,138 |
| Berks County | $1,445 | $1,427 | $1,504 | $1,370 | $1,472 | $1,574 | $1,381 | $1,381 | $1,349 | $1,770 | $1,413 | $1,343 | $1,323 | $1,056 |
| Chester County | $1,106 | $1,052 | $1,257 | $1,144 | $1,179 | $1,209 | $1,277 | $1,259 | $1,234 | $1,357 | $1,318 | $1,284 | $1,154 | $1,106 |
| Cumberland County | $951 | $1,418 | $1,187 | $1,188 | $1,111 | $1,048 | $1,299 | $1,109 | $1,026 | $1,385 | $1,123 | $968 | $977 | $1,035 |
| Dauphin County | $999 | $2,010 | $1,613 | $1,604 | $1,646 | $1,327 | $1,472 | $1,303 | $1,340 | $1,462 | $1,316 | $1,313 | $942 | $985 |
| Lebanon County | $593 | $722 | $1,126 | $1,177 | $703 | $823 | $832 | $766 | $832 | $820 | $789 | $821 | $731 | $817 |
| York County | $1,146 | $1,166 | $964 | $1,111 | $1,052 | $1,065 | $1,108 | $1,040 | $877 | $948 | $927 | $897 | $930 | $937 |
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development
Notes: Figures are in constant 2023 dollars.
Notes: Figures are in constant 2023 dollars.
Total Spending of Local Governments
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $19,189,923,940 | $18,997,488,277 | $20,266,898,859 | $21,026,850,787 | $21,762,883,297 | $24,164,264,666 | $24,215,831,859 | $24,050,105,523 | $24,397,936,978 | $25,111,126,740 | $25,480,486,112 | $24,395,026,640 | $23,569,563,484 | $23,944,991,923 |
| Lancaster County | $71,594,318 | $74,528,667 | $191,395,047 | $74,560,151 | $329,831,800 | $592,618,669 | $762,152,296 | $611,438,108 | $807,141,224 | $758,135,235 | $657,932,215 | $698,620,962 | $615,177,460 | $619,077,488 |
| Berks County | $584,289,471 | $572,201,911 | $618,669,942 | $559,474,943 | $605,798,913 | $644,680,288 | $568,234,049 | $568,086,123 | $555,116,676 | $728,285,181 | $581,446,954 | $575,783,782 | $549,036,242 | $335,505,141 |
| Chester County | $521,195,550 | $287,659,997 | $609,833,279 | $569,830,567 | $588,076,142 | $601,452,986 | $635,352,621 | $627,970,864 | $592,910,185 | $677,028,627 | $657,714,182 | $685,998,585 | $596,999,382 | $572,881,936 |
| Cumberland County | $63,749,963 | $177,022,347 | $118,521,769 | $103,383,765 | $152,570,060 | $246,533,832 | $305,502,907 | $260,891,566 | $241,172,311 | $325,652,851 | $264,000,156 | $249,904,087 | $252,261,713 | $229,542,268 |
| Dauphin County | $98,053,963 | $222,723,514 | $259,983,364 | $297,413,495 | $317,797,124 | $355,793,253 | $394,718,126 | $348,226,687 | $358,230,477 | $390,918,058 | $347,930,397 | $375,057,976 | $219,413,933 | $229,427,378 |
| Lebanon County | $7,969,351 | $8,425,962 | $46,896,670 | $42,250,083 | $40,902,008 | $109,875,283 | $111,058,150 | $102,294,356 | $111,067,567 | $109,457,905 | $105,433,810 | $117,497,675 | $104,623,178 | $117,040,617 |
| York County | $380,480,883 | $504,505,810 | $374,416,590 | $482,833,700 | $453,735,423 | $458,778,854 | $477,495,064 | $447,636,804 | $339,196,210 | $366,826,330 | $362,486,666 | $368,907,864 | $378,197,239 | $349,821,573 |
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development
Notes: Figures are in constant 2023 dollars.
Notes: Figures are in constant 2023 dollars.
Economy Indicators
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| INDICATORS | TREND |
|---|---|
| Change in Total Jobs | Increasing |
| Change in Employment by Sector | Not Applicable |
| Sector Share of Total Jobs | Not Applicable |
| Workers by Occupation | Not Applicable |
| Change in Labor Force | Maintaining |
| People Entering/Leaving County/Region for Work | Not Applicable |
| Average Salary by Sector | Not Applicable |
| Change in Average Salary Since 2010 | Increasing |
| Female to Male Earnings Ratio | Maintaining |
| Employer Size | Not Applicable |
| Change in Number of Businesses by Sector | Increasing |
| Change in Total Agricultural Sales | Increasing |
| Spending for Local Government | Maintaining |
| Spending for School Districts | Maintaining |
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