San Jose, CA vs Wichita, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Jose, CA outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $17,934 versus $7,986, a 125% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: San Jose, CA and Wichita, KS both land at 90/100 (grade A and A respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
San Jose, CA 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 San Jose, CA at $1,424 per resident and in Wichita, KS at $874.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in San Jose, CA at 9% of total revenue, whereas Wichita, KS relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
San Jose spends 124.6% more per capita than Wichita ($9,949/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $40 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $315 | $246 |
| Income Tax | $1,935 | $57 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,680 | $3,895 |
| Charges & Fees | $608 | $3,193 |
| Other | $3,519 | $2,783 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $152 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $126 |
| Education | $0 | $2 |
| Public Welfare | $810 | $441 |
| Health | $609 | $254 |
| Hospitals | $1,254 | $113 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,424 | $874 |
| Housing | $4,897 | $2,618 |
| Sewerage | $161 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,533 | $1,225 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $70 |
| Other | $6,247 | $2,111 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.