Seattle, WA vs Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA spends 35% more per resident than Atlanta, GA: $34,463 against $25,457. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 61/100 (grade C) for Seattle, WA — a 24-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Seattle, WA carries $1,100 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Seattle, WA at $3,923 per resident and in Atlanta, GA at $1,274.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Seattle, WA and 6% in Atlanta, GA.
Summary
Seattle spends 35.4% more per capita than Atlanta ($9,005/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,831 | $419 |
| Sales Tax | $1,094 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $1,292 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $9,121 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $5,645 |
| Other | $8,544 | $5,461 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $315 |
| Fire Protection | $210 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $513 |
| Education | $1,461 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $1,587 |
| Health | $1,131 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $55 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $1,274 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $4,594 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $343 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $8,026 |
| Other | $11,260 | $8,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.