Seattle, WA vs Las Vegas, NV
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $9,085, a 279% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 61/100 (grade C) for Seattle, WA — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Las Vegas, NV reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Seattle, WA carries $1,100 per resident. 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 Las Vegas, NV at $1,028.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Seattle, WA at 13% of total revenue, whereas Las Vegas, NV relies most on other revenue at 34%.
Summary
Seattle spends 279.3% more per capita than Las Vegas ($25,377/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,831 | $50 |
| Sales Tax | $1,094 | $386 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $1,137 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $0 |
| Other | $8,544 | $2,806 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $945 |
| Fire Protection | $210 | $280 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $45 |
| Education | $1,461 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $705 |
| Health | $1,131 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $356 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $1,028 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $23 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $332 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $129 |
| Other | $11,260 | $5,243 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.