Spokane, WA vs Bellevue, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Bellevue, WA spends 36% more per resident than Spokane, WA: $22,065 against $16,224. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Spokane, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 55/100 (grade C) for Bellevue, WA — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Spokane, WA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Bellevue, WA carries $1,741 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Spokane, WA leads with police at $2,475 per resident, while Bellevue, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,103.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 38% of total revenue in Spokane, WA and 34% in Bellevue, WA.
Summary
Bellevue spends 26.5% more per capita than Spokane ($5,841/person difference). Spokane, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $133 | $1,441 |
| Sales Tax | $359 | $1,282 |
| Income Tax | $724 | $50 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,005 | $8,407 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $5,003 |
| Other | $3,063 | $8,143 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,475 | $162 |
| Fire Protection | $1,057 | $966 |
| Highways & Roads | $298 | $80 |
| Public Welfare | $1,657 | $1,774 |
| Health | $8 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $224 | $2,517 |
| Parks & Recreation | $446 | $3,103 |
| Housing | $2,512 | $3,270 |
| Sewerage | $200 | $199 |
| Utilities | $1,624 | $3,441 |
| Other | $5,722 | $6,553 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.