San Antonio, TX vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $16,943, a 103% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
San Antonio, TX edges Seattle, WA on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 68/100 (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 $2,131 for San Antonio, TX. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in San Antonio, TX at $1,045 per resident and in Seattle, WA at $3,923.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in San Antonio, TX and 13% in Seattle, WA.
Summary
Seattle spends 50.8% more per capita than San Antonio ($17,520/person difference). San Antonio, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $9 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $293 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $1,000 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,312 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,025 | $3,960 |
| Other | $3,184 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $396 | $210 |
| Highways & Roads | $158 | $0 |
| Education | $23 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $1,188 | $3,439 |
| Health | $293 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $993 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,045 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $3,570 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $100 | $952 |
| Utilities | $3,826 | $6,489 |
| Other | $5,352 | $11,260 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.