Lenexa, KS vs Shawnee, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Shawnee, KS spends 47% more per resident than Lenexa, KS: $19,297 against $13,108. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Lenexa, KS holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 89/100 (grade A) against 66/100 (grade B) for Shawnee, KS — a 23-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 Lenexa, KS at $1,883 per resident and in Shawnee, KS at $3,095.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Lenexa, KS at 15% of total revenue, whereas Shawnee, KS relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 27%.
Summary
Shawnee spends 32.1% more per capita than Lenexa ($6,189/person difference). Lenexa, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 89/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $0 | $366 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $2,215 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,550 | $2,994 |
| Other | $4,178 | $966 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,908 |
| Fire Protection | $270 | $1,248 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $10 |
| Public Welfare | $2,574 | $1,126 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,883 | $3,095 |
| Housing | $3,278 | $3,109 |
| Utilities | $0 | $2,387 |
| Other | $5,103 | $5,414 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.