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

Overland Park, KS vs Wichita, KS

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Overland Park, KS and Wichita, KS spend within 0.7% of each other per resident — $8,044 versus $7,986 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.

Wichita, KS edges Overland Park, KS on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 90/100 (grade A) to 85/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.

Overland Park, KS reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Wichita, KS carries $132 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Overland Park, KS at $1,786 per resident and in Wichita, KS at $874.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 10% of total revenue in Overland Park, KS and 14% in Wichita, KS.

Summary

Overland Park spends 0.7% more per capita than Wichita ($58/person difference). Wichita, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Overland Park, KS
Pop. 196,676
A
85/100
Budget Balance79
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
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
Overland Park
Wichita
Total Spending
$1.6B
$3.2B
Spending / Capita
$8,044
$7,986
Total Revenue
$2.1B
$10.7B
Revenue / Capita
$10,792
$27,057
Total Debt
$0
$52.2M
Debt / Capita
$0
$132
Population
196,676
395,951
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Overland Park$93
Wichita$152
Highways & Roads
Overland Park$225
Wichita$126
Parks & Recreation
Overland Park$1,786
Wichita$874
Education
Overland Park$0
Wichita$2
Health
Overland Park$0
Wichita$254

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Overland ParkWichita
Sales Tax
$861
$246
Income Tax
$0
$57
Intergovernmental
$1,045
$3,895
Charges & Fees
$0
$3,193
Other
$804
$2,783

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Overland ParkWichita
Fire Protection
$93
$152
Highways & Roads
$225
$126
Education
$0
$2
Public Welfare
$726
$441
Health
$0
$254
Hospitals
$427
$113
Parks & Recreation
$1,786
$874
Housing
$2,095
$2,618
Utilities
$0
$1,225
Interest on Debt
$0
$70
Other
$2,690
$2,111
A
Overland Park, KS
Fiscal Health Score: 85/100
Excellent 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.