New York, NY vs Wichita, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $7,986, a 1517% 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 64/100 (grade C) for New York, NY — a 26-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Wichita, KS carries the lighter load at $132 per resident versus $462 for New York, NY. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: New York, NY leads with education at $37,892 per resident, while Wichita, KS leads with parks and recreation at $874.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in New York, NY and 14% in Wichita, KS.
Summary
New York spends 1516.8% more per capita than Wichita ($121,133/person difference). Wichita, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $5 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $399 | $246 |
| Income Tax | $19 | $57 |
| Intergovernmental | $20,520 | $3,895 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,835 | $3,193 |
| Other | $3,593 | $2,783 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,512 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $11,050 | $152 |
| Highways & Roads | $221 | $126 |
| Education | $37,892 | $2 |
| Public Welfare | $1,116 | $441 |
| Health | $417 | $254 |
| Hospitals | $6,467 | $113 |
| Parks & Recreation | $868 | $874 |
| Housing | $7,137 | $2,618 |
| Sewerage | $315 | $0 |
| Utilities | $13,371 | $1,225 |
| Interest on Debt | $11,706 | $70 |
| General Admin | $11,668 | $0 |
| Other | $25,380 | $2,111 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.