Columbia, MO vs Kansas City, MO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Kansas City, MO outspends Columbia, MO by a wide margin per resident — $22,820 versus $13,757, a 66% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Columbia, MO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 71/100 (grade B) against 52/100 (grade C) for Kansas City, MO — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Kansas City, MO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Columbia, MO carries $175 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Columbia, MO at $1,099 per resident and in Kansas City, MO at $1,309.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Columbia, MO at 100% of total revenue, whereas Kansas City, MO relies most on other revenue at 835%.
Summary
Kansas City spends 39.7% more per capita than Columbia ($9,062/person difference). Columbia, MO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 71/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $668 | $623 |
| Income Tax | $2,110 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,577 | $7 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,293 | $3,794 |
| Other | $2,632 | $11,150 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $355 | $119 |
| Public Welfare | $901 | $3,018 |
| Hospitals | $77 | $1,849 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,099 | $1,309 |
| Housing | $1,692 | $4,681 |
| Utilities | $3,124 | $3,123 |
| Interest on Debt | $419 | $0 |
| Other | $6,091 | $8,721 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.