Seattle, WA vs Dallas, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX and Seattle, WA spend within 1.1% of each other per resident — $34,849 versus $34,463 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Seattle, WA edges Dallas, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 57/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Dallas, TX 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 Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Seattle, WA and 22% in Dallas, TX.
Summary
Dallas spends 1.1% more per capita than Seattle ($387/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 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $1,094 | $25 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $1,223 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $0 |
| Other | $8,544 | $584 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $210 | $305 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $201 |
| Education | $1,461 | $62 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $215 |
| Health | $1,131 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $385 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $0 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $444 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $0 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $833 |
| General Admin | $0 | $25,827 |
| Other | $11,260 | $5,059 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.