Vancouver, WA vs Kent, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Vancouver, WA spends 28% more per resident than Kent, WA: $13,434 against $10,491. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Kent, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 57/100 (grade C) against 45/100 (grade D) for Vancouver, WA — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Vancouver, WA carries the lighter load at $866 per resident versus $905 for Kent, WA. 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 Kent, WA at $1,448.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 114% of total revenue in Vancouver, WA and 49% in Kent, WA.
Summary
Vancouver spends 28.1% more per capita than Kent ($2,943/person difference). Kent, WA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 57/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $31 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $456 | $272 |
| Income Tax | $140 | $89 |
| Intergovernmental | $141 | $1,884 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,641 | $1,797 |
| Other | $6,500 | $4,935 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $413 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $292 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | -$10 |
| Education | $3 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $968 | $850 |
| Health | $0 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $661 | $207 |
| Parks & Recreation | $871 | $1,448 |
| Housing | $3,594 | $3,476 |
| Sewerage | $241 | $36 |
| Utilities | $2,481 | $1,474 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1 |
| Other | $4,615 | $2,306 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.