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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Tacoma, WA

Population: 219,234 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

C
61/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$5.2B
Per Capita
$23,896
Total Revenue
$18.9B
Total Debt
$402.3M

Spending Breakdown

Other
28.4%$1.5B
Utilities
22.7%$1.2B
Housing & Community Development
20.1%$1.1B
Public Welfare
7.6%$396.1M
Education
5.8%$306.0M
Fire Protection
4.8%$252.7M
Parks & Recreation
4.4%$229.8M
Sewerage
3.3%$174.9M
Hospitals
1.7%$86.9M
Health
1.2%$62.0M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.2%$28.8M
Sales Tax
0.9%$173.1M
Income Tax
4.6%$873.5M
Intergovernmental
19.9%$3.8B
Charges & Fees
6.1%$1.1B
Other
7.7%$1.5B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$1,153/person
Parks & Recreation$1,048/person
Education$1,396/person
Health$283/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)100/100
Debt Burden (20%)0/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)38/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)100/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$402.3M
Long-Term Debt$330.8M
Debt Per Capita$1,835
Cash & Securities$177.5M

Compare Cities

See how Tacoma stacks up against another city.

vs Seattle, WAvs Spokane, WAvs Vancouver, WA
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Washington

Seattle, WA

Pop. 735K

C
Total Spending
$25.3B
Per Capita
$34,463

Spokane, WA

Pop. 228K

B
Total Spending
$3.7B
Per Capita
$16,224

Vancouver, WA

Pop. 191K

D
Total Spending
$2.6B
Per Capita
$13,434

Bellevue, WA

Pop. 151K

C
Total Spending
$3.3B
Per Capita
$22,065

Compare Tacoma With

Seattle, WA

Spending: $34,463/person · Grade: C

Spokane, WA

Spending: $16,224/person · Grade: B

Vancouver, WA

Spending: $13,434/person · Grade: D

Bellevue, WA

Spending: $22,065/person · Grade: C

Frequently Asked Questions

Tacoma, WA spends $23,896 per resident, based on total expenditures of $5.2B for a population of 219,234. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (61/100).

Tacoma, WA has total expenditures of $5.2B and total revenue of $18.9B. The city carries $402.3M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Tacoma, WA employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Tacoma, WA has a Fiscal Health Score of C (61/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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