Spokane, WA vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Spokane, WA by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $16,224, a 112% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Spokane, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 61/100 (grade C) for Seattle, WA — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Spokane, WA 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: Spokane, WA leads with police at $2,475 per resident, while Seattle, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,923.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 38% of total revenue in Spokane, WA and 13% in Seattle, WA.
Summary
Seattle spends 52.9% more per capita than Spokane ($18,239/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 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $359 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $724 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,005 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,960 |
| Other | $3,063 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,475 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,057 | $210 |
| Highways & Roads | $298 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $1,657 | $3,439 |
| Health | $8 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $224 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $446 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $2,512 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $200 | $952 |
| Utilities | $1,624 | $6,489 |
| Other | $5,722 | $11,260 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.