Houston, TX vs Wichita, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Houston, TX outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $14,400 versus $7,986, a 80% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Wichita, KS edges Houston, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 90/100 (grade A) to 83/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Wichita, KS carries the lighter load at $132 per resident versus $863 for Houston, TX. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Houston, TX at $361 per resident and in Wichita, KS at $874.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Houston, TX at 7% of total revenue, whereas Wichita, KS relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
Houston spends 80.3% more per capita than Wichita ($6,414/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)
| Sales Tax | $181 | $246 |
| Income Tax | $39 | $57 |
| Intergovernmental | $33 | $3,895 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,475 | $3,193 |
| Other | $3,960 | $2,783 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $295 | $152 |
| Highways & Roads | $175 | $126 |
| Education | $0 | $2 |
| Public Welfare | $533 | $441 |
| Health | $210 | $254 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $113 |
| Parks & Recreation | $361 | $874 |
| Housing | $4,288 | $2,618 |
| Sewerage | $386 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,339 | $1,225 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $70 |
| Other | $6,301 | $2,111 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.