Las Vegas, NV vs Kansas City, MO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Kansas City, MO outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $22,820 versus $9,085, a 151% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 52/100 (grade C) for Kansas City, MO — a 30-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Las Vegas, NV at $1,028 per resident and in Kansas City, MO at $1,309.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 34% of total revenue in Las Vegas, NV and 835% in Kansas City, MO.
Summary
Kansas City spends 60.2% more per capita than Las Vegas ($13,734/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $50 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $386 | $623 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,137 | $7 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,794 |
| Other | $2,806 | $11,150 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $945 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $280 | $119 |
| Highways & Roads | $45 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $705 | $3,018 |
| Hospitals | $356 | $1,849 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,028 | $1,309 |
| Housing | $23 | $4,681 |
| Sewerage | $332 | $0 |
| Utilities | $129 | $3,123 |
| Other | $5,243 | $8,721 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.