Columbus, OH vs Kansas City, MO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Kansas City, MO spends 21% more per resident than Columbus, OH: $22,820 against $18,858. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Columbus, OH and Kansas City, MO both land at 52/100 (grade C and C respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
Kansas City, MO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Columbus, OH carries $1,145 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Columbus, OH at $2,168 per resident and in Kansas City, MO at $1,309.
Summary
Kansas City spends 17.4% more per capita than Columbus ($3,962/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $234 | $623 |
| Income Tax | $1 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $0 | $7 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,389 | $3,794 |
| Other | $5,248 | $11,150 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,016 | $119 |
| Highways & Roads | $224 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $878 | $3,018 |
| Hospitals | $953 | $1,849 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,168 | $1,309 |
| Housing | $4,303 | $4,681 |
| Sewerage | $1 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,719 | $3,123 |
| Other | $7,595 | $8,721 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.