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 $1,200 per resident in 2024, down 47% from a high of $2,200 in 2010.
Local government spending across Pennsylvania was higher than Lancaster, at $2,100 per resident in 2024, a decrease of 11% from 2010. In 2024, Lancaster had the third-highest per capita government spending, below Berks and Chester, and more than Cumberland, Dauphin, York and Lebanon Counties.
Notes about the data
Data are presented in constant 2024 dollars.
Spending of Local Governments
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $2,309 | $2,130 | $2,118 | $2,079 | $2,064 | $1,983 | $1,988 | $1,978 | $2,027 | $2,069 | $2,097 | $1,977 | $1,975 | $2,045 | $2,064 |
| Lancaster County | $2,224 | $1,569 | $2,066 | $902 | $2,205 | $1,174 | $1,514 | $1,215 | $1,604 | $1,506 | $1,326 | $1,322 | $1,306 | $1,171 | $1,174 |
| Berks County | $1,488 | $1,470 | $1,548 | $1,411 | $1,516 | $1,620 | $1,422 | $1,422 | $1,389 | $1,822 | $1,455 | $1,382 | $1,362 | $1,087 | $1,503 |
| Chester County | $1,139 | $1,083 | $1,294 | $1,178 | $1,214 | $1,244 | $1,315 | $1,296 | $1,271 | $1,397 | $1,357 | $1,322 | $1,188 | $1,139 | $1,345 |
| Cumberland County | $979 | $1,460 | $1,222 | $1,223 | $1,144 | $1,079 | $1,337 | $1,142 | $1,056 | $1,426 | $1,156 | $997 | $1,006 | $1,065 | $1,073 |
| Dauphin County | $1,028 | $2,069 | $1,660 | $1,652 | $1,694 | $1,366 | $1,516 | $1,341 | $1,380 | $1,505 | $1,355 | $1,352 | $970 | $1,014 | $986 |
| Lebanon County | $611 | $744 | $1,159 | $1,212 | $724 | $847 | $856 | $789 | $856 | $844 | $813 | $845 | $752 | $841 | $786 |
| York County | $1,179 | $1,200 | $993 | $1,143 | $1,083 | $1,096 | $1,141 | $1,070 | $903 | $976 | $954 | $923 | $957 | $964 | $950 |
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development
Notes: Figures are in constant 2024 dollars.
Notes: Figures are in constant 2024 dollars.
Total Spending of Local Governments
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $19,755,919,064 | $19,557,807,629 | $20,864,658,703 | $21,647,024,950 | $22,404,766,292 | $24,876,974,942 | $24,930,063,078 | $24,759,448,744 | $25,117,539,276 | $25,851,764,137 | $26,232,017,538 | $25,114,543,100 | $24,264,733,411 | $24,651,234,883 | $25,930,134,431 |
| Lancaster County | $73,705,949 | $76,726,845 | $197,040,127 | $76,759,257 | $339,559,988 | $610,097,596 | $784,631,514 | $629,472,103 | $830,947,363 | $780,495,972 | $677,337,525 | $719,226,361 | $633,321,745 | $637,336,802 | $640,106,067 |
| Berks County | $601,522,733 | $589,078,658 | $636,917,235 | $575,976,316 | $623,666,583 | $663,694,740 | $584,993,767 | $584,841,477 | $571,489,504 | $749,765,509 | $598,596,378 | $592,766,174 | $565,229,731 | $345,400,661 | $638,139,490 |
| Chester County | $536,567,896 | $296,144,354 | $627,819,940 | $586,637,372 | $605,421,090 | $619,192,476 | $654,091,960 | $646,492,483 | $610,397,710 | $696,997,174 | $677,113,061 | $706,231,695 | $614,607,515 | $589,778,740 | $701,421,608 |
| Cumberland County | $65,630,229 | $182,243,514 | $122,017,497 | $106,433,006 | $157,070,021 | $253,805,197 | $314,513,530 | $268,586,403 | $248,285,541 | $335,257,784 | $271,786,680 | $257,274,856 | $259,702,019 | $236,312,477 | $255,323,309 |
| Dauphin County | $100,946,005 | $229,292,609 | $267,651,415 | $306,185,525 | $327,170,356 | $366,287,158 | $406,360,097 | $358,497,421 | $368,796,267 | $402,447,948 | $358,192,392 | $386,120,083 | $225,885,413 | $236,194,199 | $232,905,753 |
| Lebanon County | $8,204,402 | $8,674,481 | $48,279,858 | $43,496,224 | $42,108,387 | $113,115,987 | $114,333,743 | $105,311,466 | $114,343,438 | $112,686,299 | $108,543,516 | $120,963,197 | $107,708,974 | $120,492,659 | $112,618,814 |
| York County | $391,702,935 | $519,385,902 | $385,459,779 | $497,074,587 | $467,118,073 | $472,310,257 | $491,578,490 | $460,839,580 | $349,200,596 | $377,645,649 | $373,177,989 | $379,788,577 | $389,351,936 | $360,139,347 | $391,022,999 |
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development
Notes: Figures are in constant 2024 dollars.
Notes: Figures are in constant 2024 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 | Increasing |
| Workers by Occupation | Not Applicable |
| Change in Labor Force | Decreasing |
| 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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