Lawrence, KS vs Olathe, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lawrence, KS outspends Olathe, KS by a wide margin per resident — $50,571 versus $14,735, a 243% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Olathe, KS holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 84/100 (grade A) against 40/100 (grade D) for Lawrence, KS — a 44-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Olathe, KS reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Lawrence, KS carries $1,487 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Lawrence, KS leads with parks and recreation at $1,334 per resident, while Olathe, KS leads with health at $497.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 13% of total revenue in Lawrence, KS and 12% in Olathe, KS.
Summary
Lawrence spends 243.2% more per capita than Olathe ($35,836/person difference). Olathe, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 84/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $796 |
| Sales Tax | $452 | $992 |
| Income Tax | $1,646 | $1,135 |
| Intergovernmental | $610 | $2,471 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,976 | $1,283 |
| Other | $5,396 | $2,971 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $701 | $281 |
| Highways & Roads | $152 | $141 |
| Education | $50 | $35 |
| Public Welfare | $1,409 | $1,206 |
| Health | $528 | $497 |
| Hospitals | $201 | $470 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,334 | $456 |
| Housing | $2,611 | $2,111 |
| Utilities | $3,966 | $4,550 |
| Interest on Debt | $301 | $0 |
| General Admin | $32,300 | $0 |
| Other | $7,016 | $4,988 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.