Seattle, WA vs Renton, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Renton, WA by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $16,868, a 104% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Renton, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 61/100 (grade C) for Seattle, WA — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Renton, WA carries the lighter load at $211 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 Renton, WA leads with police at $2,978.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Seattle, WA at 13% of total revenue, whereas Renton, WA relies most on other revenue at 20%.
Summary
Seattle spends 104.3% more per capita than Renton ($17,594/person difference). Renton, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,831 | $31 |
| Sales Tax | $1,094 | $377 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $2,146 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $792 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $1,771 |
| Other | $8,544 | $4,728 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,978 |
| Fire Protection | $210 | $753 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $90 |
| Education | $1,461 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $1,270 |
| Health | $1,131 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $496 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $1,288 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $3,801 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $39 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $3,428 |
| Other | $11,260 | $2,725 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.