Seattle, WA vs Philadelphia, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Seattle, WA by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $34,463, a 63% 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 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Philadelphia, PA carries the lighter load at $1,069 per resident versus $1,100 for Seattle, WA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Seattle, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,923 per resident, while Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Seattle, WA and 16% in Philadelphia, PA.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 38.8% more per capita than Seattle ($21,809/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 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $2,790 |
| Other | $8,544 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $210 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $1,215 |
| Education | $1,461 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $1,456 |
| Health | $1,131 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $593 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $325 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $3 |
| Other | $11,260 | $30,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.