Kansas City, MO vs Washington, DC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Kansas City, MO by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $22,820, a 966% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Kansas City, MO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 52/100 (grade C) against 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 11-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Kansas City, MO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Washington, DC carries $2,516 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 Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Kansas City, MO at 835% of total revenue, whereas Washington, DC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 7%.
Summary
Washington spends 90.6% more per capita than Kansas City ($220,521/person difference). Kansas City, MO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 52/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $25 |
| Sales Tax | $623 | $991 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $141 |
| Intergovernmental | $7 | $18,754 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,794 | $4,070 |
| Other | $11,150 | $11,518 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $4,183 |
| Fire Protection | $119 | $4,262 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $1,435 |
| Education | $0 | $53,224 |
| Public Welfare | $3,018 | $2,498 |
| Health | $0 | $1,009 |
| Hospitals | $1,849 | $17,668 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,309 | $5,459 |
| Housing | $4,681 | $10,296 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $2,881 |
| Utilities | $3,123 | $88,990 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $58 |
| General Admin | $0 | $3,225 |
| Other | $8,721 | $48,155 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.