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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Las Vegas, NV vs Wichita, KS

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Las Vegas, NV and Wichita, KS spend within 13.8% of each other per resident — $9,085 versus $7,986 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.

Wichita, KS holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 82/100 (grade A) for Las Vegas, NV — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Las Vegas, NV 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 Las Vegas, NV at $1,028 per resident and in Wichita, KS at $874.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Las Vegas, NV at 34% of total revenue, whereas Wichita, KS relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.

Summary

Las Vegas spends 13.8% more per capita than Wichita ($1,099/person difference). Wichita, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Las Vegas, NV
Pop. 644,835
A
82/100
Budget Balance66
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Wichita, KS
Pop. 395,951
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Las Vegas
Wichita
Total Spending
$5.9B
$3.2B
Spending / Capita
$9,085
$7,986
Total Revenue
$5.3B
$10.7B
Revenue / Capita
$8,251
$27,057
Total Debt
$0
$52.2M
Debt / Capita
$0
$132
Population
644,835
395,951
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Las Vegas$945
Wichita$0
Fire Protection
Las Vegas$280
Wichita$152
Highways & Roads
Las Vegas$45
Wichita$126
Parks & Recreation
Las Vegas$1,028
Wichita$874
Education
Las Vegas$0
Wichita$2
Health
Las Vegas$0
Wichita$254

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Las VegasWichita
Property Tax
$50
$0
Sales Tax
$386
$246
Income Tax
$0
$57
Intergovernmental
$1,137
$3,895
Charges & Fees
$0
$3,193
Other
$2,806
$2,783

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Las VegasWichita
Police
$945
$0
Fire Protection
$280
$152
Highways & Roads
$45
$126
Education
$0
$2
Public Welfare
$705
$441
Health
$0
$254
Hospitals
$356
$113
Parks & Recreation
$1,028
$874
Housing
$23
$2,618
Sewerage
$332
$0
Utilities
$129
$1,225
Interest on Debt
$0
$70
Other
$5,243
$2,111
A
Las Vegas, NV
Fiscal Health Score: 82/100
Excellent fiscal health
A
Wichita, KS
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.