Seattle, WA vs San Antonio, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends San Antonio, TX by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $16,943, a 103% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
San Antonio, TX edges Seattle, WA on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 68/100 (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 $2,131 for San Antonio, TX. 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 San Antonio, TX at $1,045.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 13% of total revenue in Seattle, WA and 17% in San Antonio, TX.
Summary
Seattle spends 103.4% more per capita than San Antonio ($17,520/person difference). San Antonio, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 68/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,831 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $1,094 | $293 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $1,000 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $14,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $4,025 |
| Other | $8,544 | $3,184 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $210 | $396 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $158 |
| Education | $1,461 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $1,188 |
| Health | $1,131 | $293 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $993 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $1,045 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $3,570 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $100 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $3,826 |
| Other | $11,260 | $5,352 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.