Wichita, KS vs Dallas, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $34,849 versus $7,986, a 336% 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 57/100 (grade C) for Dallas, TX — a 33-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Dallas, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Wichita, KS carries $132 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Wichita, KS leads with parks and recreation at $874 per resident, while Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Wichita, KS and 22% in Dallas, TX.
Summary
Dallas spends 77.1% more per capita than Wichita ($26,863/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)
| Property Tax | $0 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $246 | $25 |
| Income Tax | $57 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,895 | $1,223 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,193 | $0 |
| Other | $2,783 | $584 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $152 | $305 |
| Highways & Roads | $126 | $201 |
| Education | $2 | $62 |
| Public Welfare | $441 | $215 |
| Health | $254 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $113 | $385 |
| Parks & Recreation | $874 | $0 |
| Housing | $2,618 | $444 |
| Utilities | $1,225 | $833 |
| Interest on Debt | $70 | $0 |
| General Admin | $0 | $25,827 |
| Other | $2,111 | $5,059 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.