Bellevue, WA vs Vancouver, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Bellevue, WA outspends Vancouver, WA by a wide margin per resident — $22,065 versus $13,434, a 64% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Bellevue, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 55/100 (grade C) against 45/100 (grade D) for Vancouver, WA — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Vancouver, WA carries the lighter load at $866 per resident versus $1,741 for Bellevue, WA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Bellevue, WA at $3,103 per resident and in Vancouver, WA at $871.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Bellevue, WA at 34% of total revenue, whereas Vancouver, WA relies most on other revenue at 114%.
Summary
Bellevue spends 64.2% more per capita than Vancouver ($8,631/person difference). Bellevue, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 55/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,441 | $31 |
| Sales Tax | $1,282 | $456 |
| Income Tax | $50 | $140 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,407 | $141 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,003 | $2,641 |
| Other | $8,143 | $6,500 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $162 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $966 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $80 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $3 |
| Public Welfare | $1,774 | $968 |
| Hospitals | $2,517 | $661 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,103 | $871 |
| Housing | $3,270 | $3,594 |
| Sewerage | $199 | $241 |
| Utilities | $3,441 | $2,481 |
| Other | $6,553 | $4,615 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.