Tulsa, OK vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Tulsa, OK by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $5,250, a 556% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Seattle, WA edges Tulsa, OK on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 61/100 (grade C) to 56/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Tulsa, OK 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: Tulsa, OK leads with health at $762 per resident, while Seattle, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,923.
Summary
Seattle spends 84.8% more per capita than Tulsa ($29,212/person difference). Seattle, 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 | $0 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $97 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,960 |
| Other | $53 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $628 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $196 | $210 |
| Highways & Roads | $257 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $86 | $3,439 |
| Health | $762 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $154 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $350 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $27 | $952 |
| Utilities | $41 | $6,489 |
| Other | $2,748 | $11,260 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.