Kansas City, MO vs New York, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Kansas City, MO by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $22,820, a 466% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
New York, NY holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 64/100 (grade C) against 52/100 (grade C) for Kansas City, MO — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Kansas City, MO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while New York, NY carries $462 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Kansas City, MO leads with parks and recreation at $1,309 per resident, while New York, NY leads with education at $37,892.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Kansas City, MO at 835% of total revenue, whereas New York, NY relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
New York spends 82.3% more per capita than Kansas City ($106,300/person difference). New York, NY has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 64/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $623 | $399 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $7 | $20,520 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,794 | $1,835 |
| Other | $11,150 | $3,593 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,512 |
| Fire Protection | $119 | $11,050 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $221 |
| Education | $0 | $37,892 |
| Public Welfare | $3,018 | $1,116 |
| Health | $0 | $417 |
| Hospitals | $1,849 | $6,467 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,309 | $868 |
| Housing | $4,681 | $7,137 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $315 |
| Utilities | $3,123 | $13,371 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $11,706 |
| General Admin | $0 | $11,668 |
| Other | $8,721 | $25,380 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.