Spokane, WA vs Tacoma, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Tacoma, WA spends 47% more per resident than Spokane, WA: $23,896 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 61/100 (grade C) for Tacoma, 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 Tacoma, WA carries $1,835 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Spokane, WA leads with police at $2,475 per resident, while Tacoma, WA leads with education at $1,396.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 38% of total revenue in Spokane, WA and 20% in Tacoma, WA.
Summary
Tacoma spends 32.1% more per capita than Spokane ($7,672/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 | $131 |
| Sales Tax | $359 | $789 |
| Income Tax | $724 | $3,984 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,005 | $17,186 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $5,236 |
| Other | $3,063 | $6,696 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,475 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,057 | $1,153 |
| Highways & Roads | $298 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $1,396 |
| Public Welfare | $1,657 | $1,807 |
| Health | $8 | $283 |
| Hospitals | $224 | $396 |
| Parks & Recreation | $446 | $1,048 |
| Housing | $2,512 | $4,805 |
| Sewerage | $200 | $798 |
| Utilities | $1,624 | $5,418 |
| Other | $5,722 | $6,793 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.