Manhattan, KS vs Shawnee, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Shawnee, KS spends 58% more per resident than Manhattan, KS: $19,297 against $12,218. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Manhattan, KS holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 66/100 (grade B) for Shawnee, KS — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Shawnee, KS reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Manhattan, KS carries $46 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Manhattan, KS at $1,328 per resident and in Shawnee, KS at $3,095.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Manhattan, KS and 27% in Shawnee, KS.
Summary
Shawnee spends 36.7% more per capita than Manhattan ($7,079/person difference). Manhattan, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $42 | $366 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $2,215 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,434 | $2,994 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,350 | $0 |
| Other | $3,349 | $966 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,908 |
| Fire Protection | $203 | $1,248 |
| Highways & Roads | $69 | $10 |
| Public Welfare | $806 | $1,126 |
| Health | $680 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $184 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,328 | $3,095 |
| Housing | $0 | $3,109 |
| Sewerage | $173 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,330 | $2,387 |
| Other | $6,445 | $5,414 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.