Seattle, WA vs Colorado Springs, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Colorado Springs, CO by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $13,222, a 161% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Seattle, WA edges Colorado Springs, CO on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 59/100 (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 $3,063 for Colorado Springs, CO. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Seattle, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,923 per resident, while Colorado Springs, CO leads with fire protection at $1,266.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Seattle, WA and 13% in Colorado Springs, CO.
Summary
Seattle spends 160.6% more per capita than Colorado Springs ($21,240/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 | $257 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $6,902 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $5,676 |
| Other | $8,544 | $2,678 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $210 | $1,266 |
| Education | $1,461 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $575 |
| Health | $1,131 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $416 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $376 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $2,713 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $0 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $2,566 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $190 |
| Other | $11,260 | $5,120 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.