Seattle, WA vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL and Seattle, WA spend within 0.3% of each other per resident — $34,551 versus $34,463 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Seattle, WA and Chicago, IL both land at 61/100 (grade C and C respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
On debt, Chicago, IL carries the lighter load at $977 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 Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Seattle, WA and 100% in Chicago, IL.
Summary
Chicago spends 0.3% more per capita than Seattle ($89/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,831 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $1,094 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $2,847 |
| Other | $8,544 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $210 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $930 |
| Education | $1,461 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $1,858 |
| Health | $1,131 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $122 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $129 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $2,983 |
| Other | $11,260 | $9,385 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.