Seattle, WA vs Baltimore, MD
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD outspends Seattle, WA by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $34,463, a 97% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Baltimore, MD holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 61/100 (grade C) for Seattle, WA — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Baltimore, MD reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Seattle, WA carries $1,100 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Seattle, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,923 per resident, while Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Seattle, WA and 7% in Baltimore, MD.
Summary
Baltimore spends 49.3% more per capita than Seattle ($33,472/person difference). Baltimore, MD has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,831 | $84 |
| Sales Tax | $1,094 | $55 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $375 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $5,085 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $2,192 |
| Other | $8,544 | $4,765 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $820 |
| Fire Protection | $210 | $1,214 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $676 |
| Education | $1,461 | $35,510 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $714 |
| Health | $1,131 | $757 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $1,877 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $384 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $4,087 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $87 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $3,809 |
| General Admin | $0 | $19 |
| Other | $11,260 | $17,981 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.