Seattle, WA vs Boston, MA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Seattle, WA by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $34,463, a 110% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Seattle, WA edges Boston, MA on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 56/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Boston, MA carries the lighter load at $445 per resident versus $1,100 for Seattle, WA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Seattle, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,923 per resident, while Boston, MA leads with education at $30,742.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Seattle, WA and 17% in Boston, MA.
Summary
Boston spends 52.3% more per capita than Seattle ($37,836/person difference). Seattle, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,831 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,094 | $78 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $5,357 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $2,784 |
| Other | $8,544 | $4,557 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $210 | $1,107 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $594 |
| Education | $1,461 | $30,742 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $1,110 |
| Health | $1,131 | $725 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $2,584 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $711 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $6,614 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $355 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $3,402 |
| General Admin | $0 | $5,401 |
| Other | $11,260 | $18,955 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.