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Building No. 105, Boeing Airplane CompanyBuilding No. 105, Boeing Airplane Company · Photo: Benjamin Cody · Public domain
Town Hall · Tukwila

Tukwila spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities

Tukwila’s city government spent $82.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2024, about $3,866 per resident. Water and other utilities ($5.5 million) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2024
$82.6M
year to December 31, 2024
Per resident, 2024
$3,866
In 2022: $3,505, more than 100% of 40 similar cities
Long-term debt
$133.4M
end of 2024, reported
City staff, 2022
343
full-time · 59 part-time · March payroll $3.1M
Typical tax bill
$4,414
0.90% of home value · WA 0.81%

What stands out about how Tukwila is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$3,505 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them

Tukwila’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,505 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 40 Washington cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,128, and the middle half spent $944–$1,514. Tukwila spent more than 100% of them.

Middle half of the group, $944–$1,514Median $1,128Tukwila

Includes sewer and trash ($10.3 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 →

The group
40

Washington cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Tukwila itself left out).

Your share of the 2024 budget

About $3,866 per resident a year, or $10.59 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 25%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 33%Fees & charges 20%Property taxes 19%Other taxes & licenses 7%Utility sales 7%From the state 6%Interest, fines & other 6%From other local governments 3%From the federal government <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $11.7 million; interest on debt $4.7 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $104.6 million.
Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 16% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Tukwila reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$71 million
2023$78.8 million
2024$82.6 million

Per resident: 2022: $3,505 · 2023: $3,647 · 2024: $3,866. Per resident it went from $3,505 to $3,866 (up 10%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 20,256 to 21,377.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $4,414 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.90% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Washington.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Seattle$7,337
Bryn Mawr-Skyway$6,171
Burien$6,004
Renton$5,969
Kent$5,446
SeaTac$5,104
Boulevard Park$4,833
Washington$4,556
Tukwila$4,414
$4,414
typical bill a year
0.90%
effective rate
$489,000
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Tukwila’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 Tukwila’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Tukwila →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Tukwila

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Tukwila’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Tukwila yet.
Who works for Tukwila

One full-time city employee for every 62 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (21,377).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Police84
Administration & buildings62 + 11 pt
Fire67
Parks & libraries35 + 46 pt
Sewer & trash31
Roads & transportation13
Courts, inspections & corrections11
Water & other utilities9
Health & welfare5 + 1 pt
Other26 + 1 pt
343
full-time
59
part-time
$3.1M
payroll for March 2022
$37.0M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$104,100
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
62
sworn police officers
66
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Tukwila had 16.9 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 32 of the 40 Washington cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 5.6: Tukwila had more than 100% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Tukwila School District

Tukwila’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Tukwila →
$22,334
per pupil · WA $18,444
2,828
students
$66.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $22,334 per pupil, $12,274 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 28%State 57%Federal 15%

Washington districts overall: 27% local, 66% state, 8% federal.

Also serving Tukwila

Renton School District · $19,788 per pupil

Seattle Public Schools · $22,227 per pupil

Highline School District · $21,280 per pupil

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Tukwila’s votes are counted by county

Washington reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Tukwila alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are King County’s results.

President · King County’s results1,130,502 votes · results as certified
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat73.6%832,606 votes
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican22.3%252,193 votes

Others: 4.0% (45,703 votes).

Most votes in King County: Kamala D Harris

Washington: Harris 57.2%, Trump 39.0%

The county’s page

100% of Tukwila lies in King County. Every 2024 race in King County is on the county’s page.

King County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Tukwila

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Tukwila.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Washington HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Washington SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Washington

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Tukwila compares with the towns next door

Tukwila spent $3,505 per resident in 2022; the 5 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $601 to $3,122. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Burien$601$6,004
Kent$1,251$5,446
SeaTac$1,705$5,104
Renton$1,708$5,969
Seattle$3,122$7,337
Tukwila$3,505$4,414

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 Tukwila’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Tukwila’s government

How much does Tukwila spend per resident?

About $3,866 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 $3,505 was more than 100% of 40 Washington cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Tukwila?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,414 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.90% 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 Tukwila’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Tukwila yet.

How did Tukwila vote in 2024?

Washington counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Tukwila alone. King County, where 100% of Tukwila lies, voted Harris 73.6%, Trump 22.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Tukwila?

343 full-time and 59 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3.1M (about $37.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Tukwila in the state legislature?

State Senate District 11 (Bob Hasegawa) and State House District 11 (David Hackney and Steve Bergquist). The House district also covers two neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Tukwila’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →