Memphis, TN vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA spends 56% more per resident than Memphis, TN: $34,463 against $22,111. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Memphis, TN edges Seattle, WA on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 65/100 (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.
On debt, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 per resident versus $1,100 for Seattle, WA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Memphis, TN at $1,397 per resident and in Seattle, WA at $3,923.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Memphis, TN and 13% in Seattle, WA.
Summary
Seattle spends 35.8% more per capita than Memphis ($12,352/person difference). Memphis, TN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $496 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $1,218 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $34,065 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,077 | $3,960 |
| Other | $3,994 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $469 | $210 |
| Highways & Roads | $277 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $630 | $3,439 |
| Health | $391 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $1,677 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,397 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $4,683 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $952 |
| Utilities | $2,578 | $6,489 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,158 | $0 |
| Other | $8,850 | $11,260 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.