Oklahoma City, OK vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Oklahoma City, OK by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $18,074, a 91% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oklahoma City, OK 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, Seattle, WA carries the lighter load at $1,100 per resident versus $3,520 for Oklahoma City, OK. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Oklahoma City, OK at $2,014 per resident and in Seattle, WA at $3,923.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 19% of total revenue in Oklahoma City, OK and 13% in Seattle, WA.
Summary
Seattle spends 47.6% more per capita than Oklahoma City ($16,389/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK 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 | $0 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $763 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $1,037 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,852 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,256 | $3,960 |
| Other | $1,836 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $513 | $210 |
| Education | $0 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $1,525 | $3,439 |
| Health | $5 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $2,044 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,014 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $2,857 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $952 |
| Utilities | $4,523 | $6,489 |
| Interest on Debt | $707 | $0 |
| Other | $3,886 | $11,260 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.