Federal Way, WA vs Spokane, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Spokane, WA outspends Federal Way, WA by a wide margin per resident — $16,224 versus $7,749, a 109% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Spokane, WA edges Federal Way, WA on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 70/100 (grade B) to 67/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Federal Way, WA leads with parks and recreation at $840 per resident, while Spokane, WA leads with police at $2,475.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 43% of total revenue in Federal Way, WA and 38% in Spokane, WA.
Summary
Spokane spends 52.2% more per capita than Federal Way ($8,475/person difference). Spokane, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $122 | $133 |
| Sales Tax | $220 | $359 |
| Income Tax | $59 | $724 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,441 | $5,005 |
| Other | $1,369 | $3,063 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $288 | $2,475 |
| Fire Protection | $205 | $1,057 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $298 |
| Public Welfare | $1,037 | $1,657 |
| Health | $0 | $8 |
| Hospitals | $214 | $224 |
| Parks & Recreation | $840 | $446 |
| Housing | $2,945 | $2,512 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $200 |
| Utilities | $117 | $1,624 |
| Other | $2,103 | $5,722 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.