Federal Way, WA vs Tacoma, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Tacoma, WA outspends Federal Way, WA by a wide margin per resident — $23,896 versus $7,749, a 208% 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 Tacoma, 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 Tacoma, WA carries $1,835 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Federal Way, WA leads with parks and recreation at $840 per resident, while Tacoma, WA leads with education at $1,396.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 43% of total revenue in Federal Way, WA and 20% in Tacoma, WA.
Summary
Tacoma spends 67.6% more per capita than Federal Way ($16,147/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 | $131 |
| Sales Tax | $220 | $789 |
| Income Tax | $59 | $3,984 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,441 | $17,186 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $5,236 |
| Other | $1,369 | $6,696 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $288 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $205 | $1,153 |
| Education | $0 | $1,396 |
| Public Welfare | $1,037 | $1,807 |
| Health | $0 | $283 |
| Hospitals | $214 | $396 |
| Parks & Recreation | $840 | $1,048 |
| Housing | $2,945 | $4,805 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $798 |
| Utilities | $117 | $5,418 |
| Other | $2,103 | $6,793 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.