Baltimore, MD vs Kansas City, MO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Baltimore, MD outspends Kansas City, MO by a wide margin per resident — $67,935 versus $22,820, a 198% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Baltimore, MD holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 52/100 (grade C) for Kansas City, MO — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Baltimore, MD leads with education at $35,510 per resident, while Kansas City, MO leads with parks and recreation at $1,309.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Baltimore, MD at 7% of total revenue, whereas Kansas City, MO relies most on other revenue at 835%.
Summary
Baltimore spends 197.7% more per capita than Kansas City ($45,115/person difference). Baltimore, MD has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $84 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $55 | $623 |
| Income Tax | $375 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,085 | $7 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,192 | $3,794 |
| Other | $4,765 | $11,150 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $820 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,214 | $119 |
| Highways & Roads | $676 | $0 |
| Education | $35,510 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $714 | $3,018 |
| Health | $757 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,877 | $1,849 |
| Parks & Recreation | $384 | $1,309 |
| Housing | $4,087 | $4,681 |
| Sewerage | $87 | $0 |
| Utilities | $3,809 | $3,123 |
| General Admin | $19 | $0 |
| Other | $17,981 | $8,721 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.