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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Kansas City, MO

Population: 505,958 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

C
52/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$11.5B
Per Capita
$22,820
Total Revenue
$675.4M
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
38.2%$4.4B
Housing & Community Development
20.5%$2.4B
Utilities
13.7%$1.6B
Public Welfare
13.2%$1.5B
Hospitals
8.1%$935.5M
Parks & Recreation
5.7%$662.5M
Fire Protection
0.5%$60.2M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Sales Tax
46.7%$315.1M
Intergovernmental
0.5%$3.7M
Charges & Fees
284.2%$1.9B
Other
835.3%$5.6B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$119/person
Parks & Recreation$1,309/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)1/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)76/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Kansas City stacks up against another city.

vs St. Louis, MOvs Springfield, MOvs Columbia, MO
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Missouri

St. Louis, MO

Pop. 298K

B
Total Spending
$5.3B
Per Capita
$17,927

Springfield, MO

Pop. 169K

A
Total Spending
$2.7B
Per Capita
$15,703

Columbia, MO

Pop. 126K

B
Total Spending
$1.7B
Per Capita
$13,757

Independence, MO

Pop. 122K

A
Total Spending
$999.2M
Per Capita
$8,176

Compare Kansas City With

St. Louis, MO

Spending: $17,927/person · Grade: B

Springfield, MO

Spending: $15,703/person · Grade: A

Columbia, MO

Spending: $13,757/person · Grade: B

Independence, MO

Spending: $8,176/person · Grade: A

Frequently Asked Questions

Kansas City, MO spends $22,820 per resident, based on total expenditures of $11.5B for a population of 505,958. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (52/100).

Kansas City, MO has total expenditures of $11.5B and total revenue of $675.4M. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Kansas City, MO employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Kansas City, MO has a Fiscal Health Score of C (52/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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