Seattle, WA vs Oklahoma City, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Oklahoma City, OK by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $18,074, a 91% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oklahoma City, OK edges Seattle, WA on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 65/100 (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.
On debt, Seattle, WA carries the lighter load at $1,100 per resident versus $3,520 for Oklahoma City, OK. 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 Oklahoma City, OK at $2,014.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Seattle, WA and 19% in Oklahoma City, OK.
Summary
Seattle spends 90.7% more per capita than Oklahoma City ($16,389/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,831 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,094 | $763 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $1,037 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $6,852 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $3,256 |
| Other | $8,544 | $1,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $210 | $513 |
| Education | $1,461 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $1,525 |
| Health | $1,131 | $5 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $2,044 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $2,014 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $2,857 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $0 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $4,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $707 |
| Other | $11,260 | $3,886 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.