Federal Way, WA vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Federal Way, WA by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $7,749, a 345% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Federal Way, WA edges Seattle, WA on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 67/100 (grade B) to 61/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Federal Way, WA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Seattle, WA carries $1,100 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 Seattle, WA at $3,923.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 43% of total revenue in Federal Way, WA and 13% in Seattle, WA.
Summary
Seattle spends 77.5% more per capita than Federal Way ($26,714/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 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $220 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $59 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,441 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,960 |
| Other | $1,369 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $288 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $205 | $210 |
| Education | $0 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $1,037 | $3,439 |
| Health | $0 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $214 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $840 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $2,945 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $952 |
| Utilities | $117 | $6,489 |
| Other | $2,103 | $11,260 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.