Vancouver, WA vs Renton, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Renton, WA spends 26% more per resident than Vancouver, WA: $16,868 against $13,434. 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 45/100 (grade D) for Vancouver, WA — a 30-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Renton, WA carries the lighter load at $211 per resident versus $866 for Vancouver, WA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Vancouver, WA leads with parks and recreation at $871 per resident, while Renton, WA leads with police at $2,978.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 114% of total revenue in Vancouver, WA and 20% in Renton, WA.
Summary
Renton spends 20.4% more per capita than Vancouver ($3,434/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 | $31 | $31 |
| Sales Tax | $456 | $377 |
| Income Tax | $140 | $2,146 |
| Intergovernmental | $141 | $792 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,641 | $1,771 |
| Other | $6,500 | $4,728 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,978 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $753 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $90 |
| Education | $3 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $968 | $1,270 |
| Hospitals | $661 | $496 |
| Parks & Recreation | $871 | $1,288 |
| Housing | $3,594 | $3,801 |
| Sewerage | $241 | $39 |
| Utilities | $2,481 | $3,428 |
| Other | $4,615 | $2,725 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.