Vancouver, WA vs Federal Way, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Vancouver, WA outspends Federal Way, WA by a wide margin per resident — $13,434 versus $7,749, a 73% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Federal Way, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 45/100 (grade D) for Vancouver, WA — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Federal Way, WA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Vancouver, WA carries $866 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Vancouver, WA at $871 per resident and in Federal Way, WA at $840.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Vancouver, WA at 114% of total revenue, whereas Federal Way, WA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 43%.
Summary
Vancouver spends 73.4% more per capita than Federal Way ($5,686/person difference). Federal Way, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $31 | $122 |
| Sales Tax | $456 | $220 |
| Income Tax | $140 | $59 |
| Intergovernmental | $141 | $1,441 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,641 | $0 |
| Other | $6,500 | $1,369 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $288 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $205 |
| Education | $3 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $968 | $1,037 |
| Hospitals | $661 | $214 |
| Parks & Recreation | $871 | $840 |
| Housing | $3,594 | $2,945 |
| Sewerage | $241 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,481 | $117 |
| Other | $4,615 | $2,103 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.