Kent, WA vs Spokane, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Spokane, WA spends 55% more per resident than Kent, WA: $16,224 against $10,491. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Spokane, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 57/100 (grade C) for Kent, WA — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Spokane, WA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Kent, WA carries $905 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Kent, WA leads with parks and recreation at $1,448 per resident, while Spokane, WA leads with police at $2,475.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Kent, WA at 49% of total revenue, whereas Spokane, WA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 38%.
Summary
Spokane spends 35.3% more per capita than Kent ($5,733/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 | $0 | $133 |
| Sales Tax | $272 | $359 |
| Income Tax | $89 | $724 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,884 | $5,005 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,797 | $0 |
| Other | $4,935 | $3,063 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $413 | $2,475 |
| Fire Protection | $292 | $1,057 |
| Highways & Roads | -$10 | $298 |
| Public Welfare | $850 | $1,657 |
| Health | $0 | $8 |
| Hospitals | $207 | $224 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,448 | $446 |
| Housing | $3,476 | $2,512 |
| Sewerage | $36 | $200 |
| Utilities | $1,474 | $1,624 |
| Interest on Debt | $1 | $0 |
| Other | $2,306 | $5,722 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.