Olathe, KS vs Wichita, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Olathe, KS outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $14,735 versus $7,986, a 85% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Wichita, KS edges Olathe, KS on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 90/100 (grade A) to 84/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Olathe, KS 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: Olathe, KS leads with health at $497 per resident, while Wichita, KS leads with parks and recreation at $874.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Olathe, KS at 12% of total revenue, whereas Wichita, KS relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
Olathe spends 84.5% more per capita than Wichita ($6,749/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 | $796 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $992 | $246 |
| Income Tax | $1,135 | $57 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,471 | $3,895 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,283 | $3,193 |
| Other | $2,971 | $2,783 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $281 | $152 |
| Highways & Roads | $141 | $126 |
| Education | $35 | $2 |
| Public Welfare | $1,206 | $441 |
| Health | $497 | $254 |
| Hospitals | $470 | $113 |
| Parks & Recreation | $456 | $874 |
| Housing | $2,111 | $2,618 |
| Utilities | $4,550 | $1,225 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $70 |
| Other | $4,988 | $2,111 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.