Jacksonville, FL vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA and Jacksonville, FL spend within 9.6% of each other per resident — $34,463 versus $31,456 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Seattle, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 61/100 (grade C) against 53/100 (grade C) for Jacksonville, FL — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Seattle, WA carries the lighter load at $1,100 per resident versus $2,821 for Jacksonville, FL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436 per resident, while Seattle, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,923.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Jacksonville, FL and 13% in Seattle, WA.
Summary
Seattle spends 8.7% more per capita than Jacksonville ($3,006/person difference). Seattle, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $233 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $762 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $7,348 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,119 | $3,960 |
| Other | $4,705 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $18 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $9,436 | $210 |
| Education | $0 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $486 | $3,439 |
| Health | $332 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $557 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,329 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $5,572 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $176 | $952 |
| Utilities | $1,835 | $6,489 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,942 | $0 |
| Other | $9,771 | $11,260 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.