Topeka, KS vs Shawnee, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Shawnee, KS spends 34% more per resident than Topeka, KS: $19,297 against $14,435. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Topeka, KS holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 87/100 (grade A) against 66/100 (grade B) for Shawnee, KS — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Shawnee, 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 Shawnee, KS leads with parks and recreation at $3,095.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Topeka, KS at 19% of total revenue, whereas Shawnee, KS relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 27%.
Summary
Shawnee spends 25.2% more per capita than Topeka ($4,862/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 | $366 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $2,215 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,030 | $2,994 |
| Charges & Fees | $6,883 | $0 |
| Other | $4,080 | $966 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,908 |
| Fire Protection | $190 | $1,248 |
| Highways & Roads | $353 | $10 |
| Public Welfare | $3,253 | $1,126 |
| Parks & Recreation | $55 | $3,095 |
| Housing | $3,032 | $3,109 |
| Utilities | $3,548 | $2,387 |
| Interest on Debt | $663 | $0 |
| Other | $3,342 | $5,414 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.