New York, NY vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Seattle, WA by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $34,463, a 275% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
New York, NY edges Seattle, WA on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 64/100 (grade C) 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, New York, NY carries the lighter load at $462 per resident versus $1,100 for Seattle, WA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: New York, NY leads with education at $37,892 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 New York, NY and 13% in Seattle, WA.
Summary
New York spends 274.7% more per capita than Seattle ($94,657/person difference). New York, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $399 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $19 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,520 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,835 | $3,960 |
| Other | $3,593 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,512 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $11,050 | $210 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $0 |
| Education | $37,892 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $1,116 | $3,439 |
| Health | $417 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $6,467 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $868 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $7,137 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $315 | $952 |
| Utilities | $13,371 | $6,489 |
| Interest on Debt | $11,706 | $0 |
| General Admin | $11,668 | $0 |
| Other | $25,380 | $11,260 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.