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

Miami, FL vs Wichita, KS

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Miami, FL outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $28,195 versus $7,986, a 253% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Wichita, KS holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 53/100 (grade C) for Miami, FL — a 37-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Miami, FL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Wichita, KS carries $132 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Miami, FL leads with fire protection at $7,399 per resident, while Wichita, KS leads with parks and recreation at $874.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Miami, FL and 14% in Wichita, KS.

Summary

Miami spends 253.1% more per capita than Wichita ($20,209/person difference). Wichita, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Miami, FL
Pop. 443,665
C
53/100
Budget Balance22
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency51
Revenue Diversity0
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
Miami
Wichita
Total Spending
$12.5B
$3.2B
Spending / Capita
$28,195
$7,986
Total Revenue
$6.7B
$10.7B
Revenue / Capita
$15,037
$27,057
Total Debt
$0
$52.2M
Debt / Capita
$0
$132
Population
443,665
395,951
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Miami$7,399
Wichita$152
Highways & Roads
Miami$0
Wichita$126
Parks & Recreation
Miami$1,783
Wichita$874
Education
Miami$0
Wichita$2
Health
Miami$0
Wichita$254

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

MiamiWichita
Property Tax
$0
$0
Sales Tax
$1,647
$246
Income Tax
$0
$57
Intergovernmental
$15,037
$3,895
Charges & Fees
$0
$3,193
Other
$1,399
$2,783

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

MiamiWichita
Fire Protection
$7,399
$152
Highways & Roads
$0
$126
Education
$0
$2
Public Welfare
$109
$441
Health
$0
$254
Hospitals
$1,499
$113
Parks & Recreation
$1,783
$874
Housing
$6,840
$2,618
Sewerage
$699
$0
Utilities
$1,295
$1,225
Interest on Debt
$0
$70
Other
$8,572
$2,111
C
Miami, FL
Fiscal Health Score: 53/100
Average 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.