Seattle, WA vs Phoenix, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Phoenix, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $15,793, a 118% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Phoenix, AZ 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.
On debt, Seattle, WA carries the lighter load at $1,100 per resident versus $1,156 for Phoenix, AZ. 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 Phoenix, AZ at $652.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Seattle, WA and 100% in Phoenix, AZ.
Summary
Seattle spends 118.2% more per capita than Phoenix ($18,670/person difference). Phoenix, AZ 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 | $7 |
| Sales Tax | $1,094 | $338 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $1,260 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $50,709 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $2,998 |
| Other | $8,544 | $2,038 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $210 | $170 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $86 |
| Education | $1,461 | $214 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $507 |
| Health | $1,131 | $258 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $1,521 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $652 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $3,879 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $388 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $2,480 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,760 |
| Other | $11,260 | $3,878 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.