Tacoma, WA vs Renton, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Tacoma, WA spends 42% more per resident than Renton, WA: $23,896 against $16,868. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Renton, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 61/100 (grade C) for Tacoma, WA — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Renton, WA carries the lighter load at $211 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 Renton, WA leads with police at $2,978.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Tacoma, WA at 20% of total revenue, whereas Renton, WA relies most on other revenue at 20%.
Summary
Tacoma spends 41.7% more per capita than Renton ($7,028/person difference). Renton, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $131 | $31 |
| Sales Tax | $789 | $377 |
| Income Tax | $3,984 | $2,146 |
| Intergovernmental | $17,186 | $792 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,236 | $1,771 |
| Other | $6,696 | $4,728 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,978 |
| Fire Protection | $1,153 | $753 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $90 |
| Education | $1,396 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,807 | $1,270 |
| Health | $283 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $396 | $496 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,048 | $1,288 |
| Housing | $4,805 | $3,801 |
| Sewerage | $798 | $39 |
| Utilities | $5,418 | $3,428 |
| Other | $6,793 | $2,725 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.