Spokane Valley, WA vs Federal Way, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Federal Way, WA spends 52% more per resident than Spokane Valley, WA: $7,749 against $5,097. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Spokane Valley, WA edges Federal Way, WA on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 68/100 (grade B) to 67/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Federal Way, WA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Spokane Valley, WA carries $5 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Spokane Valley, WA at $259 per resident and in Federal Way, WA at $840.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Spokane Valley, WA at 34% of total revenue, whereas Federal Way, WA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 43%.
Summary
Federal Way spends 34.2% more per capita than Spokane Valley ($2,651/person difference). Spokane Valley, WA 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 | $201 | $122 |
| Sales Tax | $17 | $220 |
| Income Tax | $26 | $59 |
| Intergovernmental | $100 | $1,441 |
| Other | $421 | $1,369 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $169 | $288 |
| Fire Protection | $189 | $205 |
| Highways & Roads | $112 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $784 | $1,037 |
| Hospitals | $221 | $214 |
| Parks & Recreation | $259 | $840 |
| Housing | $2,595 | $2,945 |
| Sewerage | $43 | $0 |
| Utilities | $31 | $117 |
| Other | $695 | $2,103 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.