Seattle, WA vs Tulsa, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Tulsa, OK by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $5,250, a 556% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Seattle, WA edges Tulsa, OK on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 56/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Tulsa, OK reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Seattle, WA carries $1,100 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Seattle, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,923 per resident, while Tulsa, OK leads with health at $762.
Summary
Seattle spends 556.4% more per capita than Tulsa ($29,212/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 | $97 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $0 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $0 |
| Other | $8,544 | $53 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $628 |
| Fire Protection | $210 | $196 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $257 |
| Education | $1,461 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $86 |
| Health | $1,131 | $762 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $154 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $350 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $27 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $41 |
| Other | $11,260 | $2,748 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.