Photo: Jeffery Hayes · CC BY-SA 3.0Seattle spent more per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities
Seattle’s city government spent $3.2 billion on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $4,209 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1 billion) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Seattle is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Seattle
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: seattle.gov ↗
Seattle’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on seattle.gov ↗.
About $4,209 per resident a year, or $11.53 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: parks & libraries, at 14%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$3,122 per resident in 2022: more than 97% of them
Seattle’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,122 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 269 Washington cities that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,131, and the middle half spent $840–$1,527. Seattle spent more than 97% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($272.8 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 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Seattle itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 31% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Seattle 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: $3,122 · 2023: $3,835 · 2024: $4,209.
full-time in March 2025, up from 10,695 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $7,337 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.78% 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 Seattle’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 Seattle’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Seattle →
One full-time city employee for every 65 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (749,256).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Seattle Public Schools
Seattle’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $22,227 per pupil, $13,007 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.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Seattle’s votes are counted by county
Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Seattle 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 Seattle 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
Seattle sends 12 representatives to the Washington House alone.
- 1Your cityMayorKatie B. Wilsonas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Washington HouseSeattle is split between 6 districts
- 3Washington SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Washington
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Seattle compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses Washington cities that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Burien | $601 | $6,004 |
| Bainbridge Island | $978 | $8,860 |
| Kirkland | $1,672 | $8,001 |
| Mercer Island | $1,683 | $10,000+ |
| Medina | $2,063 | $10,000+ |
| Tukwila | $3,505 | $4,414 |
| Seattle | $3,122 | $7,337 |
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 Seattle’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Seattle’s government
How much does Seattle spend per resident?
About $4,209 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 $3,122 was more than 97% of 269 Washington cities that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Seattle?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $7,337 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.78% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see seattle.gov.
Who is the mayor of Seattle?
Katie B. Wilson, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on seattle.gov.
How did Seattle vote in 2024?
Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Seattle alone. King County, where 100% of Seattle lies, voted Harris 73.6%, Trump 22.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Seattle?
11,526 full-time and 1,792 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $143.7M (about $1.7B a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Seattle in the state legislature?
Seattle is split among 6 State House districts and 6 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Washington Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Seattle’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 →