Bellevue, WA vs Renton, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Bellevue, WA spends 31% more per resident than Renton, WA: $22,065 against $16,868. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Renton, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Bellevue, WA — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Renton, WA carries the lighter load at $211 per resident versus $1,741 for Bellevue, WA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Bellevue, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,103 per resident, while Renton, WA leads with police at $2,978.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Bellevue, WA at 34% of total revenue, whereas Renton, WA relies most on other revenue at 20%.
Summary
Bellevue spends 30.8% more per capita than Renton ($5,197/person difference). Renton, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,441 | $31 |
| Sales Tax | $1,282 | $377 |
| Income Tax | $50 | $2,146 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,407 | $792 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,003 | $1,771 |
| Other | $8,143 | $4,728 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $162 | $2,978 |
| Fire Protection | $966 | $753 |
| Highways & Roads | $80 | $90 |
| Public Welfare | $1,774 | $1,270 |
| Hospitals | $2,517 | $496 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,103 | $1,288 |
| Housing | $3,270 | $3,801 |
| Sewerage | $199 | $39 |
| Utilities | $3,441 | $3,428 |
| Other | $6,553 | $2,725 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.