Kansas City, MO vs Wichita, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Kansas City, MO outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $22,820 versus $7,986, a 186% 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 52/100 (grade C) for Kansas City, MO — a 38-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Kansas City, MO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Wichita, KS carries $132 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 Wichita, KS at $874.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Kansas City, MO at 835% of total revenue, whereas Wichita, KS relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
Kansas City spends 185.7% more per capita than Wichita ($14,834/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 | $623 | $246 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $57 |
| Intergovernmental | $7 | $3,895 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,794 | $3,193 |
| Other | $11,150 | $2,783 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $119 | $152 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $126 |
| Education | $0 | $2 |
| Public Welfare | $3,018 | $441 |
| Health | $0 | $254 |
| Hospitals | $1,849 | $113 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,309 | $874 |
| Housing | $4,681 | $2,618 |
| Utilities | $3,123 | $1,225 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $70 |
| Other | $8,721 | $2,111 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.