Seattle, WA vs Long Beach, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA and Long Beach, CA spend within 0.6% of each other per resident — $34,463 versus $34,250 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Long Beach, CA edges Seattle, WA on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 67/100 (grade B) to 61/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Long Beach, CA 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 Long Beach, CA at $698.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Seattle, WA at 13% of total revenue, whereas Long Beach, CA relies most on other revenue at 12%.
Summary
Seattle spends 0.6% more per capita than Long Beach ($212/person difference). Long Beach, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,831 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,094 | $36 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $1,760 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $1,688 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $2,424 |
| Other | $8,544 | $8,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $210 | $0 |
| Education | $1,461 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $1,317 |
| Health | $1,131 | $477 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $2,751 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $698 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $5,782 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $86 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $3,889 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $2,718 |
| Other | $11,260 | $16,533 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.