Phoenix, AZ vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Phoenix, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $15,793, a 118% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Phoenix, AZ edges Seattle, WA on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 67/100 (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 $1,156 for Phoenix, AZ. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Phoenix, AZ at $652 per resident and in Seattle, WA at $3,923.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Phoenix, AZ and 13% in Seattle, WA.
Summary
Seattle spends 54.2% more per capita than Phoenix ($18,670/person difference). Phoenix, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $7 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $338 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $1,260 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $50,709 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,998 | $3,960 |
| Other | $2,038 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $170 | $210 |
| Highways & Roads | $86 | $0 |
| Education | $214 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $507 | $3,439 |
| Health | $258 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $1,521 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $652 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $3,879 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $388 | $952 |
| Utilities | $2,480 | $6,489 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,760 | $0 |
| Other | $3,878 | $11,260 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.