Albuquerque, NM vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Albuquerque, NM by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $17,237, a 100% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Albuquerque, NM holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 81/100 (grade A) against 61/100 (grade C) for Seattle, WA — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Albuquerque, NM carries the lighter load at $613 per resident versus $1,100 for Seattle, WA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Albuquerque, NM at $1,990 per resident and in Seattle, WA at $3,923.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Albuquerque, NM at 11% of total revenue, whereas Seattle, WA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 13%.
Summary
Seattle spends 50.0% more per capita than Albuquerque ($17,225/person difference). Albuquerque, NM has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 81/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $36 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $355 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $1,580 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,897 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,633 | $3,960 |
| Other | $2,174 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $440 | $210 |
| Highways & Roads | $172 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $419 | $3,439 |
| Health | $291 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $328 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,990 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $4,080 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $952 |
| Utilities | $5,212 | $6,489 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,096 | $0 |
| Other | $3,209 | $11,260 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.