Philadelphia, PA vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Seattle, WA by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $34,463, a 63% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Seattle, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 61/100 (grade C) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Philadelphia, PA carries the lighter load at $1,069 per resident versus $1,100 for Seattle, WA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082 per resident, while Seattle, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,923.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 16% of total revenue in Philadelphia, PA and 13% in Seattle, WA.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 63.3% more per capita than Seattle ($21,809/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 | $0 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $107 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $8 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,288 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,790 | $3,960 |
| Other | $4,029 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,505 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $7,082 | $210 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,215 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $1,456 | $3,439 |
| Health | $229 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $4,048 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $593 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $4,902 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $325 | $952 |
| Utilities | $4,222 | $6,489 |
| Interest on Debt | $3 | $0 |
| Other | $30,692 | $11,260 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.