Federal Way, WA vs Vancouver, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Vancouver, WA outspends Federal Way, WA by a wide margin per resident — $13,434 versus $7,749, a 73% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Federal Way, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 45/100 (grade D) for Vancouver, WA — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Federal Way, WA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Vancouver, WA carries $866 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 Vancouver, WA at $871.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Federal Way, WA at 43% of total revenue, whereas Vancouver, WA relies most on other revenue at 114%.
Summary
Vancouver spends 42.3% more per capita than Federal Way ($5,686/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 | $31 |
| Sales Tax | $220 | $456 |
| Income Tax | $59 | $140 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,441 | $141 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,641 |
| Other | $1,369 | $6,500 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $288 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $205 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $3 |
| Public Welfare | $1,037 | $968 |
| Hospitals | $214 | $661 |
| Parks & Recreation | $840 | $871 |
| Housing | $2,945 | $3,594 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $241 |
| Utilities | $117 | $2,481 |
| Other | $2,103 | $4,615 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.