Federal Way, WA vs Kent, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Kent, WA spends 35% more per resident than Federal Way, WA: $10,491 against $7,749. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Federal Way, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 57/100 (grade C) for Kent, WA — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Federal Way, WA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Kent, WA carries $905 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Federal Way, WA at $840 per resident and in Kent, WA at $1,448.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Federal Way, WA at 43% of total revenue, whereas Kent, WA relies most on other revenue at 49%.
Summary
Kent spends 26.1% more per capita than Federal Way ($2,742/person difference). Federal Way, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $122 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $220 | $272 |
| Income Tax | $59 | $89 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,441 | $1,884 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $1,797 |
| Other | $1,369 | $4,935 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $288 | $413 |
| Fire Protection | $205 | $292 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | -$10 |
| Public Welfare | $1,037 | $850 |
| Health | $0 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $214 | $207 |
| Parks & Recreation | $840 | $1,448 |
| Housing | $2,945 | $3,476 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $36 |
| Utilities | $117 | $1,474 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1 |
| Other | $2,103 | $2,306 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.