San Diego, CA vs Wichita, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Diego, CA outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $43,306 versus $7,986, a 442% 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 53/100 (grade C) for San Diego, CA — a 37-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Diego, CA 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: San Diego, CA leads with police at $3,335 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 San Diego, CA at 39% of total revenue, whereas Wichita, KS relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
San Diego spends 442.3% more per capita than Wichita ($35,320/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 | $124 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $63 | $246 |
| Income Tax | $194 | $57 |
| Intergovernmental | $57 | $3,895 |
| Charges & Fees | $14 | $3,193 |
| Other | $3,801 | $2,783 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,335 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,278 | $152 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,408 | $126 |
| Education | $2,005 | $2 |
| Public Welfare | $700 | $441 |
| Health | $411 | $254 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $113 |
| Parks & Recreation | $436 | $874 |
| Housing | $4,476 | $2,618 |
| Sewerage | $43 | $0 |
| Utilities | $11,704 | $1,225 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $70 |
| Other | $17,509 | $2,111 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.