Manhattan, KS vs Topeka, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Topeka, KS spends 18% more per resident than Manhattan, KS: $14,435 against $12,218. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Topeka, KS edges Manhattan, KS on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 87/100 (grade A) to 80/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Topeka, KS carries the lighter load at $30 per resident versus $46 for Manhattan, KS. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Manhattan, KS leads with parks and recreation at $1,328 per resident, while Topeka, KS leads with highways and roads at $353.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Manhattan, KS at 100% of total revenue, whereas Topeka, KS relies most on charges and fees at 19%.
Summary
Topeka spends 15.4% more per capita than Manhattan ($2,217/person difference). Topeka, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 87/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $823 |
| Sales Tax | $42 | $182 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,434 | $3,030 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,350 | $6,883 |
| Other | $3,349 | $4,080 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $203 | $190 |
| Highways & Roads | $69 | $353 |
| Public Welfare | $806 | $3,253 |
| Health | $680 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $184 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,328 | $55 |
| Housing | $0 | $3,032 |
| Sewerage | $173 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,330 | $3,548 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $663 |
| Other | $6,445 | $3,342 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.