Renton, WA vs Vancouver, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Renton, WA spends 26% more per resident than Vancouver, WA: $16,868 against $13,434. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Renton, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 45/100 (grade D) for Vancouver, WA — a 30-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Renton, WA carries the lighter load at $211 per resident versus $866 for Vancouver, WA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Renton, WA leads with police at $2,978 per resident, while Vancouver, WA leads with parks and recreation at $871.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 20% of total revenue in Renton, WA and 114% in Vancouver, WA.
Summary
Renton spends 25.6% more per capita than Vancouver ($3,434/person difference). Renton, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $31 | $31 |
| Sales Tax | $377 | $456 |
| Income Tax | $2,146 | $140 |
| Intergovernmental | $792 | $141 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,771 | $2,641 |
| Other | $4,728 | $6,500 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,978 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $753 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $90 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $3 |
| Public Welfare | $1,270 | $968 |
| Hospitals | $496 | $661 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,288 | $871 |
| Housing | $3,801 | $3,594 |
| Sewerage | $39 | $241 |
| Utilities | $3,428 | $2,481 |
| Other | $2,725 | $4,615 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.