Seattle, WA vs Houston, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Houston, TX by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $14,400, a 139% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Houston, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 61/100 (grade C) for Seattle, WA — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Houston, TX carries the lighter load at $863 per resident versus $1,100 for Seattle, WA. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Seattle, WA at $3,923 per resident and in Houston, TX at $361.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Seattle, WA at 13% of total revenue, whereas Houston, TX relies most on other revenue at 7%.
Summary
Seattle spends 139.3% more per capita than Houston ($20,063/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,831 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,094 | $181 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $39 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $33 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $3,475 |
| Other | $8,544 | $3,960 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $210 | $295 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $175 |
| Education | $1,461 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $533 |
| Health | $1,131 | $210 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $511 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $361 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $4,288 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $386 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $1,339 |
| Other | $11,260 | $6,301 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.