FactHub reusable chart

Per-pupil school spending by state, FY2024: Washington ranks 17th

Census Bureau current spending per pupil for each of the 50 states in fiscal 2024, ordered from highest (rank 1) to lowest (rank 50), with Washington highlighted.

Credit: FactHub; data: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of School System Finances

Node: chart:wa-per-pupil-spending-rank-fy2024:1

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Bar chart of FY2024 per-pupil current spending for 50 states ranked from New York ($31,918) to Idaho ($11,060). Washington is highlighted at rank 17 with $18,564, just above the national figure of $17,619. — Washington spent $18,564 per pupil in fiscal 2024, 17th among the 50 states and 5.4% above the national figure of $17,619. Sixteen states spent more, led by New York at $31,918; the lowest was Idaho at $11,060.

What this chart asks

Where does Washington's per-pupil school spending rank among the states?

Why it is shown this way

Bars ordered by rank show both Washington's position and how far it sits from the top and bottom.
The x axis uses rank rather than state name so the bars stay in spending order; state names appear in the accessible table.
The y axis starts at zero so bar heights are proportional to spending.

Chart annotations

These markers provide relevant context for interpreting the chart. Their timing or position does not, by itself, establish causation.

National figure: $17,619

Threshold: 17619

U.S. current spending per pupil, FY2024, from the Census Bureau's May 7, 2026 release.

Why this is marked: Reference line for the national per-pupil figure published by the Census Bureau and stored in the dataset's national_average_usd field.

Data and accessibility

Download chart data · Open accessible table · Download PNG · Download SVG

Dataset wa-k12-spending-outcomes, analysis per-pupil-ranked

Sources

This chart draws on the sources of the dataset versions it visualizes.

Washington K-12 spending and outcomes: per-pupil spending, Kids Count rank, NAEP math

U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. School System Current Spending Per Pupil by Region: Fiscal Year 2024 (2024 Annual Survey of School System Finances) Primary statistical source for per-pupil spending values
Retrieved October 14, 2026. Public domain (U.S. government work). Permitted

Archived copy captured October 14, 2026
U.S. Census Bureau, Public School Spending Per Pupil Reaches Historic High in 2024 (CB26-TPS.29, May 7, 2026) Primary source for national average ($17,619) and District of Columbia value
Retrieved October 14, 2026. Public domain (U.S. government work). Permitted

Archived copy captured October 14, 2026
CRBC News (republishing Business Insider), School Spending 2024: How Much Each U.S. State Spends Per Public School Student (Ranked), June 11, 2026 Secondary source used only to pair each Census value with its state; every value cross-checked against the Census chart
Retrieved October 14, 2026. All rights reserved (linked, not redistributed). Not redistributed; facts only

Archived copy captured October 14, 2026
Washington State Standard via Seattle's Child, WA is stuck mid-pack in national education ranking (June 2025) News report of Kids Count 2025 Data Book; source for 'ten years ago, Washington was 20th'
Retrieved October 14, 2026. All rights reserved (linked, not redistributed). Not redistributed; facts only

Archived copy captured October 14, 2026
Seattle's Child, KIDS COUNT 2024: WA must do better for kids News summary of the 2024 Kids Count Data Book (education rank 26th)
Retrieved October 14, 2026. All rights reserved (linked, not redistributed). Not redistributed; facts only

Archived copy captured October 14, 2026
Seattle's Child, 2025 KIDS COUNT: Washington state's education rankings decline News summary of the 2025 Kids Count Data Book (education rank fell from 26th to 27th; four indicator values)
Retrieved October 14, 2026. All rights reserved (linked, not redistributed). Not redistributed; facts only

Archived copy captured October 14, 2026
Washington State Standard via Seattle's Child, 2026 KIDS COUNT Spotlight: Big drop in WA education ranking News report of the 2026 Kids Count Data Book (education rank fell from 27th to 31st)
Retrieved October 14, 2026. All rights reserved (linked, not redistributed). Not redistributed; facts only
NCES, 2024 Mathematics State Snapshot Report, Washington Grade 8 Primary source for 2003, 2022, 2024 scores
Retrieved October 14, 2026. Public domain (U.S. government work). Permitted

Archived copy captured October 14, 2026
NCES, 2019 Mathematics State Snapshot Report, Washington Grade 8 Primary source for 2017 and 2019 scores
Retrieved October 14, 2026. Public domain (U.S. government work). Permitted

Archived copy captured October 14, 2026
NCES, 2015 Mathematics State Snapshot Report, Washington Grade 8 Primary source for 2013 and 2015 scores
Retrieved October 14, 2026. Public domain (U.S. government work). Permitted

Archived copy captured October 14, 2026

Limitations

Nominal dollars, not adjusted for regional cost differences.
Current spending excludes capital outlay and debt service.
DC ($31,529) is not shown; including it would make Washington 18th.

Articles and datasets using this chart

Article Washington's school spending outpaced inflation as test results slipped.

Version details

The exact citing versions, and the version of this chart each cites.

Article wa-school-spending-results — version 3 (published) cites version 1
Article wa-school-spending-results — version 2 (published) cites version 1