Philadelphia, PA vs Wichita, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $7,986, a 605% 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 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 45-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Wichita, KS carries the lighter load at $132 per resident versus $1,069 for Philadelphia, PA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082 per resident, while Wichita, KS leads with parks and recreation at $874.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 16% of total revenue in Philadelphia, PA and 14% in Wichita, KS.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 604.6% more per capita than Wichita ($48,286/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)
| Sales Tax | $107 | $246 |
| Income Tax | $8 | $57 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,288 | $3,895 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,790 | $3,193 |
| Other | $4,029 | $2,783 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,505 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $7,082 | $152 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,215 | $126 |
| Education | $0 | $2 |
| Public Welfare | $1,456 | $441 |
| Health | $229 | $254 |
| Hospitals | $4,048 | $113 |
| Parks & Recreation | $593 | $874 |
| Housing | $4,902 | $2,618 |
| Sewerage | $325 | $0 |
| Utilities | $4,222 | $1,225 |
| Interest on Debt | $3 | $70 |
| Other | $30,692 | $2,111 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.