Wichita, KS vs Charlotte, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Charlotte, NC outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $15,854 versus $7,986, a 99% 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 63/100 (grade C) for Charlotte, NC — a 27-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Wichita, KS carries the lighter load at $132 per resident versus $2,690 for Charlotte, NC. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Wichita, KS at $874 per resident and in Charlotte, NC at $1,571.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Wichita, KS at 14% of total revenue, whereas Charlotte, NC relies most on other revenue at 10%.
Summary
Charlotte spends 49.6% more per capita than Wichita ($7,868/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)
| Sales Tax | $246 | $541 |
| Income Tax | $57 | $366 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,895 | $1,859 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,193 | $2,459 |
| Other | $2,783 | $4,866 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $152 | $463 |
| Highways & Roads | $126 | $41 |
| Education | $2 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $441 | $672 |
| Health | $254 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $113 | $1,243 |
| Parks & Recreation | $874 | $1,571 |
| Housing | $2,618 | $3,944 |
| Utilities | $1,225 | $2,244 |
| Interest on Debt | $70 | $2,226 |
| Other | $2,111 | $3,448 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.