Washington, DC vs Seattle, WA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Seattle, WA by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $34,463, a 606% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Seattle, WA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 61/100 (grade C) against 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Seattle, WA carries the lighter load at $1,100 per resident versus $2,516 for Washington, DC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224 per resident, while Seattle, WA leads with parks and recreation at $3,923.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 7% of total revenue in Washington, DC and 13% in Seattle, WA.
Summary
Washington spends 606.1% more per capita than Seattle ($208,878/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 | $25 | $1,831 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $1,094 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $3,496 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $9,846 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $3,960 |
| Other | $11,518 | $8,544 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,183 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $210 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $0 |
| Education | $53,224 | $1,461 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $3,439 |
| Health | $1,009 | $1,131 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $1,871 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $3,923 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $3,727 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $952 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $6,489 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $0 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $0 |
| Other | $48,155 | $11,260 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.