Boston, MA vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Seattle, WA by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $34,463, a 110% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Seattle, WA edges Boston, MA on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 56/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Boston, MA carries the lighter load at $445 per resident versus $1,100 for Seattle, WA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Boston, MA leads with education at $30,742 per resident, while Seattle, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,923.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in Boston, MA and 13% in Seattle, WA.
Summary
Boston spends 109.8% more per capita than Seattle ($37,836/person difference). Seattle, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $78 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,357 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,784 | $3,960 |
| Other | $4,557 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,107 | $210 |
| Highways & Roads | $594 | $0 |
| Education | $30,742 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $1,110 | $3,439 |
| Health | $725 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $2,584 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $711 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $6,614 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $355 | $952 |
| Utilities | $3,402 | $6,489 |
| General Admin | $5,401 | $0 |
| Other | $18,955 | $11,260 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.