Jacksonville, FL vs Wichita, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Jacksonville, FL outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $31,456 versus $7,986, a 294% 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 53/100 (grade C) for Jacksonville, FL — a 37-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Wichita, KS carries the lighter load at $132 per resident versus $2,821 for Jacksonville, FL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436 per resident, while Wichita, KS leads with parks and recreation at $874.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Jacksonville, FL and 14% in Wichita, KS.
Summary
Jacksonville spends 293.9% more per capita than Wichita ($23,470/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 | $10 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $233 | $246 |
| Income Tax | $762 | $57 |
| Intergovernmental | $7,348 | $3,895 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,119 | $3,193 |
| Other | $4,705 | $2,783 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $18 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $9,436 | $152 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $126 |
| Education | $0 | $2 |
| Public Welfare | $486 | $441 |
| Health | $332 | $254 |
| Hospitals | $557 | $113 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,329 | $874 |
| Housing | $5,572 | $2,618 |
| Sewerage | $176 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,835 | $1,225 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,942 | $70 |
| Other | $9,771 | $2,111 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.