Kansas City, MO vs Oklahoma City, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Kansas City, MO spends 26% more per resident than Oklahoma City, OK: $22,820 against $18,074. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Oklahoma City, OK holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 52/100 (grade C) for Kansas City, MO — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Kansas City, MO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Oklahoma City, OK carries $3,520 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Kansas City, MO at $1,309 per resident and in Oklahoma City, OK at $2,014.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Kansas City, MO at 835% of total revenue, whereas Oklahoma City, OK relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 19%.
Summary
Kansas City spends 26.3% more per capita than Oklahoma City ($4,746/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $623 | $763 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,037 |
| Intergovernmental | $7 | $6,852 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,794 | $3,256 |
| Other | $11,150 | $1,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $119 | $513 |
| Public Welfare | $3,018 | $1,525 |
| Health | $0 | $5 |
| Hospitals | $1,849 | $2,044 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,309 | $2,014 |
| Housing | $4,681 | $2,857 |
| Utilities | $3,123 | $4,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $707 |
| Other | $8,721 | $3,886 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.