Chicago, IL vs Wichita, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Chicago, IL outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $34,551 versus $7,986, a 333% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Wichita, KS holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 61/100 (grade C) for Chicago, IL — a 29-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Wichita, KS carries the lighter load at $132 per resident versus $977 for Chicago, IL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754 per resident, while Wichita, KS leads with parks and recreation at $874.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Chicago, IL and 14% in Wichita, KS.
Summary
Chicago spends 332.7% more per capita than Wichita ($26,565/person difference). Wichita, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $26 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $74 | $246 |
| Income Tax | $229 | $57 |
| Intergovernmental | $85,083 | $3,895 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,847 | $3,193 |
| Other | $3,463 | $2,783 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $10,754 | $152 |
| Highways & Roads | $930 | $126 |
| Education | $0 | $2 |
| Public Welfare | $1,858 | $441 |
| Health | $426 | $254 |
| Hospitals | $1,444 | $113 |
| Parks & Recreation | $122 | $874 |
| Housing | $6,520 | $2,618 |
| Sewerage | $129 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,983 | $1,225 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $70 |
| Other | $9,385 | $2,111 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.