Spokane, WA vs Federal Way, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Spokane, WA outspends Federal Way, WA by a wide margin per resident — $16,224 versus $7,749, a 109% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Spokane, WA edges Federal Way, WA on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 70/100 (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.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Spokane, WA leads with police at $2,475 per resident, while Federal Way, WA leads with parks and recreation at $840.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 38% of total revenue in Spokane, WA and 43% in Federal Way, WA.
Summary
Spokane spends 109.4% more per capita than Federal Way ($8,475/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 | $122 |
| Sales Tax | $359 | $220 |
| Income Tax | $724 | $59 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,005 | $1,441 |
| Other | $3,063 | $1,369 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,475 | $288 |
| Fire Protection | $1,057 | $205 |
| Highways & Roads | $298 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,657 | $1,037 |
| Health | $8 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $224 | $214 |
| Parks & Recreation | $446 | $840 |
| Housing | $2,512 | $2,945 |
| Sewerage | $200 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,624 | $117 |
| Other | $5,722 | $2,103 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.