Updated April 2026 · U.S. Census Bureau, fiscal year 2023
Where Does Seattle, WA Get Its Money?
Seattle, WA took in $56.5B in total revenue, or $76,958 per resident. Its largest single source is Intergovernmental Transfers at $7.2B, followed by Other at $6.3B. Per the U.S. Census Bureau, the balance comes from a mix of taxes, intergovernmental transfers, and user charges.
Seattle, WA Budget Snapshot
| Total Spending | $25.3B |
| Per Capita Spending | $34,463 |
| Total Revenue | $56.5B |
| Total Debt | $808.1M |
| Debt Per Capita | $1,100 |
| Population | 734,603 |
| Fiscal Health Score | 61/100 (C) |
| Data Year | FY 2023 |
Where Seattle, WA's Money Comes From
Where does the money come from? Property tax provides 2 percent of city revenue, sales tax 1 percent, intergovernmental transfers from federal and state sources 13 percent, and direct charges and user fees 5 percent. The remainder comes from utility revenue, income tax (where applicable), and miscellaneous sources.
Where the Money Goes
Of the $25.3B that Seattle, WA spent in its most recent reported fiscal year, the largest single line item per resident is Parks & Recreation at $3,923. Education comes next at $1,461 per resident. Together those two functions account for the bulk of every-day taxpayer-facing services in the city budget. The remaining categories, parks, health, housing, debt service, and general administration, fill out the picture.
Top Spending Categories (Per Capita)
Debt Burden in Context
Debt-wise, Seattle runs above the peer-group median: $1,100 per resident versus $445 for similar-size cities. That gap, 147%, may reflect a recent bond issuance, large capital project, or simply a more-debt-funded approach to infrastructure.
What Does the C Grade Mean?
Seattle, WA earns a C on the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score (61/100). The city is meeting current obligations but is exposed on at least one structural front, debt service, pension funding shortfalls, or thin reserves, that warrants close watching over the next two to three budget cycles.
How This Score Is Calculated
The CitySpend Fiscal Health Score combines six factors into one composite, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances: budget balance and reserves (25%), debt burden per capita versus peer median (20%), pension funded ratio from the Public Plans Database (20%), spending efficiency (15%), revenue diversity (10%), and three-year trend direction (10%). Best-practice weighting follows guidance from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). Read the full methodology.
More about Seattle, WA
Seattle, WA took in $56.5B in total revenue, or $76,958 per resident. Its largest single source is Intergovernmental Transfers at $7.2B, followed by Other at $6.3B. Per the U.S. Census Bureau, the balance comes from a mix of taxes, intergovernmental transfers, and user charges.
The data source behind this answer is the Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances. Every figure on the page traces back to that source; the methodology page describes the inputs and the refresh cadence in full detail.
A practical caveat: the headline answer above reflects the most recent the Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances vintage; underlying data is often revised for months after first publication, and the right reference for any specific decision is whichever vintage is current at the time of the decision. The as-of date is stamped on every page.