Shawnee, KS vs Overland Park, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Shawnee, KS outspends Overland Park, KS by a wide margin per resident — $19,297 versus $8,044, a 140% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Overland Park, KS holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 66/100 (grade B) for Shawnee, KS — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Shawnee, KS at $3,095 per resident and in Overland Park, KS at $1,786.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 27% of total revenue in Shawnee, KS and 10% in Overland Park, KS.
Summary
Shawnee spends 139.9% more per capita than Overland Park ($11,253/person difference). Overland Park, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $366 | $861 |
| Income Tax | $2,215 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,994 | $1,045 |
| Other | $966 | $804 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,908 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,248 | $93 |
| Highways & Roads | $10 | $225 |
| Public Welfare | $1,126 | $726 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $427 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,095 | $1,786 |
| Housing | $3,109 | $2,095 |
| Utilities | $2,387 | $0 |
| Other | $5,414 | $2,690 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.