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

San Antonio, TX vs Wichita, KS

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

San Antonio, TX outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $16,943 versus $7,986, a 112% 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 68/100 (grade B) for San Antonio, TX — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

On debt, Wichita, KS carries the lighter load at $132 per resident versus $2,131 for San Antonio, TX. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in San Antonio, TX at $1,045 per resident and in Wichita, KS at $874.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in San Antonio, TX and 14% in Wichita, KS.

Summary

San Antonio spends 112.2% more per capita than Wichita ($8,957/person difference). Wichita, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
San Antonio, TX
Pop. 1,445,662
B
68/100
Budget Balance93
Debt Burden0
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
San Antonio
Wichita
Total Spending
$24.5B
$3.2B
Spending / Capita
$16,943
$7,986
Total Revenue
$124.1B
$10.7B
Revenue / Capita
$85,853
$27,057
Total Debt
$3.1B
$52.2M
Debt / Capita
$2,131
$132
Population
1,445,662
395,951
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
San Antonio$396
Wichita$152
Highways & Roads
San Antonio$158
Wichita$126
Parks & Recreation
San Antonio$1,045
Wichita$874
Education
San Antonio$23
Wichita$2
Health
San Antonio$293
Wichita$254

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

San AntonioWichita
Property Tax
$9
$0
Sales Tax
$293
$246
Income Tax
$1,000
$57
Intergovernmental
$14,312
$3,895
Charges & Fees
$4,025
$3,193
Other
$3,184
$2,783

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

San AntonioWichita
Fire Protection
$396
$152
Highways & Roads
$158
$126
Education
$23
$2
Public Welfare
$1,188
$441
Health
$293
$254
Hospitals
$993
$113
Parks & Recreation
$1,045
$874
Housing
$3,570
$2,618
Sewerage
$100
$0
Utilities
$3,826
$1,225
Interest on Debt
$0
$70
Other
$5,352
$2,111
B
San Antonio, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 68/100
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.