Topeka, KS vs Overland Park, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Topeka, KS outspends Overland Park, KS by a wide margin per resident — $14,435 versus $8,044, a 79% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Topeka, KS edges Overland Park, KS on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 87/100 (grade A) to 85/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Overland Park, KS reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Topeka, KS carries $30 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Topeka, KS leads with highways and roads at $353 per resident, while Overland Park, KS leads with parks and recreation at $1,786.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Topeka, KS at 19% of total revenue, whereas Overland Park, KS relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 10%.
Summary
Topeka spends 79.5% more per capita than Overland Park ($6,391/person difference). Topeka, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 87/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $823 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $182 | $861 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,030 | $1,045 |
| Charges & Fees | $6,883 | $0 |
| Other | $4,080 | $804 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $190 | $93 |
| Highways & Roads | $353 | $225 |
| Public Welfare | $3,253 | $726 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $427 |
| Parks & Recreation | $55 | $1,786 |
| Housing | $3,032 | $2,095 |
| Utilities | $3,548 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $663 | $0 |
| Other | $3,342 | $2,690 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.