Chicago, IL vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL and Seattle, WA spend within 0.3% of each other per resident — $34,551 versus $34,463 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Chicago, IL and Seattle, WA both land at 61/100 (grade C and C respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
On debt, Chicago, IL carries the lighter load at $977 per resident versus $1,100 for Seattle, WA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754 per resident, while Seattle, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,923.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Chicago, IL and 13% in Seattle, WA.
Summary
Chicago spends 0.3% more per capita than Seattle ($89/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $26 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $3,960 |
| Other | $3,463 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $210 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $3,439 |
| Health | $426 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $952 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $6,489 |
| Other | $9,385 | $11,260 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.