Seattle, WA vs Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $20,200, a 71% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Seattle, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 61/100 (grade C) against 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 26-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Seattle, WA carries the lighter load at $1,100 per resident versus $3,553 for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Seattle, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,923 per resident, while Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY leads with fire protection at $1,132.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Seattle, WA at 13% of total revenue, whereas Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY relies most on other revenue at 103%.
Summary
Seattle spends 70.6% more per capita than Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) ($14,262/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 | $1,138 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $24 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $412 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $3,823 |
| Other | $8,544 | $8,878 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $701 |
| Fire Protection | $210 | $1,132 |
| Education | $1,461 | $956 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $1,849 |
| Health | $1,131 | $379 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $779 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $1,070 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $2,382 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $249 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $3,844 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,517 |
| Other | $11,260 | $5,344 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.