Tacoma, WA vs Kent, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Tacoma, WA outspends Kent, WA by a wide margin per resident — $23,896 versus $10,491, a 128% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Tacoma, WA edges Kent, WA on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 57/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Kent, WA carries the lighter load at $905 per resident versus $1,835 for Tacoma, WA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Tacoma, WA leads with education at $1,396 per resident, while Kent, WA leads with parks and recreation at $1,448.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Tacoma, WA at 20% of total revenue, whereas Kent, WA relies most on other revenue at 49%.
Summary
Tacoma spends 127.8% more per capita than Kent ($13,405/person difference). Tacoma, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 61/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $131 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $789 | $272 |
| Income Tax | $3,984 | $89 |
| Intergovernmental | $17,186 | $1,884 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,236 | $1,797 |
| Other | $6,696 | $4,935 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $413 |
| Fire Protection | $1,153 | $292 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | -$10 |
| Education | $1,396 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,807 | $850 |
| Health | $283 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $396 | $207 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,048 | $1,448 |
| Housing | $4,805 | $3,476 |
| Sewerage | $798 | $36 |
| Utilities | $5,418 | $1,474 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1 |
| Other | $6,793 | $2,306 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.