SeaTac spent more per resident in 2022 than 94% of similar cities
SeaTac’s city government spent $56.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $1,849 per resident.
What stands out about how SeaTac is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,705 per resident in 2022: more than 94% of them
SeaTac’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,705 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 18 Washington cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,353, and the middle half spent $986–$1,578. SeaTac spent more than 94% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.3 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Washington cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; SeaTac itself left out).
About $1,849 per resident a year, or $5.07 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 15% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years SeaTac reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,705 · 2023: $1,737 · 2024: $1,849. Per resident it went from $1,705 to $1,849 (up 8%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 28,904 to 30,525.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $5,104 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.98% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at SeaTac’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to SeaTac’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in SeaTac →
Who’s in charge in SeaTac
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 263 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (30,525).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Highline School District
SeaTac’s K–12 school district, shared with Normandy Park, Burien, Des Moines. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $21,280 per pupil, $12,300 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Washington districts overall: 27% local, 66% state, 8% federal.
Kent School District · $20,051 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
SeaTac’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for SeaTac alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are King County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat73.6%832,606 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican22.3%252,193 votesOthers: 4.0% (45,703 votes).
Most votes in King County: Kamala D Harris
Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%
100% of SeaTac lies in King County. Every 2024 race in King County is on the county’s page.
King County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for SeaTac.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Washington HouseState representatives
- 3Washington SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Washington
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How SeaTac compares with the towns next door
SeaTac spent $1,705 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $601 to $3,505. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Burien | $601 | $6,004 |
| Des Moines | $1,011 | $5,640 |
| Kent | $1,251 | $5,446 |
| Tukwila | $3,505 | $4,414 |
| SeaTac | $1,705 | $5,104 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach SeaTac’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about SeaTac’s government
How much does SeaTac spend per resident?
About $1,849 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,705 was more than 94% of 18 Washington cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in SeaTac?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,104 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.98% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.
Who runs SeaTac’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for SeaTac yet.
How did SeaTac vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for SeaTac alone. King County, where 100% of SeaTac lies, voted Harris 73.6%, Trump 22.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for SeaTac?
116 full-time and 38 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.1M (about $13.1M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents SeaTac in the state legislature?
State Senate District 33 (Tina Orwall) and State House District 33 (Edwin Obras and Mia Gregerson). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about SeaTac’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →