Colorado Springs, CO vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Colorado Springs, CO by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $13,222, a 161% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Seattle, WA edges Colorado Springs, CO on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 59/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Seattle, WA carries the lighter load at $1,100 per resident versus $3,063 for Colorado Springs, CO. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Colorado Springs, CO leads with fire protection at $1,266 per resident, while Seattle, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,923.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Colorado Springs, CO and 13% in Seattle, WA.
Summary
Seattle spends 61.6% more per capita than Colorado Springs ($21,240/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 | $257 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,902 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,676 | $3,960 |
| Other | $2,678 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,266 | $210 |
| Education | $0 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $575 | $3,439 |
| Health | $0 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $416 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $376 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $2,713 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $952 |
| Utilities | $2,566 | $6,489 |
| Interest on Debt | $190 | $0 |
| Other | $5,120 | $11,260 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.