Seattle, WA vs San Jose, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends San Jose, CA by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $17,934, a 92% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
San Jose, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 61/100 (grade C) for Seattle, WA — a 29-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Jose, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Seattle, WA carries $1,100 per resident. 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 Jose, CA at $1,424.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Seattle, WA at 13% of total revenue, whereas San Jose, CA relies most on other revenue at 9%.
Summary
Seattle spends 92.2% more per capita than San Jose ($16,528/person difference). San Jose, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,831 | $40 |
| Sales Tax | $1,094 | $315 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $1,935 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $2,680 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $608 |
| Other | $8,544 | $3,519 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $210 | $0 |
| Education | $1,461 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $810 |
| Health | $1,131 | $609 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $1,254 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $1,424 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $4,897 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $161 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $2,533 |
| Other | $11,260 | $6,247 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.