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

Minneapolis, MN vs Wichita, KS

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Minneapolis, MN outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $21,910 versus $7,986, a 174% 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 65/100 (grade B) for Minneapolis, MN — a 25-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

On debt, Wichita, KS carries the lighter load at $132 per resident versus $644 for Minneapolis, MN. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Minneapolis, MN at $3,486 per resident and in Wichita, KS at $874.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Minneapolis, MN at 17% of total revenue, whereas Wichita, KS relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.

Summary

Minneapolis spends 174.4% more per capita than Wichita ($13,924/person difference). Wichita, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Minneapolis, MN
Pop. 426,877
B
65/100
Budget Balance17
Debt Burden91
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency80
Revenue Diversity100
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
Minneapolis
Wichita
Total Spending
$9.4B
$3.2B
Spending / Capita
$21,910
$7,986
Total Revenue
$8.2B
$10.7B
Revenue / Capita
$19,159
$27,057
Total Debt
$274.8M
$52.2M
Debt / Capita
$644
$132
Population
426,877
395,951
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Minneapolis$683
Wichita$152
Highways & Roads
Minneapolis$221
Wichita$126
Parks & Recreation
Minneapolis$3,486
Wichita$874
Education
Minneapolis$0
Wichita$2
Health
Minneapolis$0
Wichita$254

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

MinneapolisWichita
Sales Tax
$1,989
$246
Income Tax
$994
$57
Intergovernmental
$2,929
$3,895
Charges & Fees
$2,040
$3,193
Other
$3,254
$2,783

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

MinneapolisWichita
Fire Protection
$683
$152
Highways & Roads
$221
$126
Education
$0
$2
Public Welfare
$1,500
$441
Health
$0
$254
Hospitals
$0
$113
Parks & Recreation
$3,486
$874
Housing
$4,133
$2,618
Sewerage
$570
$0
Utilities
$2,398
$1,225
Interest on Debt
$0
$70
Other
$8,919
$2,111
B
Minneapolis, MN
Fiscal Health Score: 65/100
Good 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.