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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Wichita, KS vs Detroit, MI

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Detroit spends 74.3% more per capita than Wichita ($23,101/person difference). Wichita, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Wichita, KS
Pop. 395,951
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Detroit, MI
Pop. 636,787
B
69/100
Budget Balance70
Debt Burden79
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency38
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Wichita
Detroit
Total Spending
$3.2B
$19.8B
Spending / Capita
$7,986
$31,087
Total Revenue
$10.7B
$28.4B
Revenue / Capita
$27,057
$44,533
Total Debt
$52.2M
$493.9M
Debt / Capita
$132
$776
Population
395,951
636,787
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Wichita$152
Detroit$2,429
Highways & Roads
Wichita$126
Detroit$0
Parks & Recreation
Wichita$874
Detroit$950
Education
Wichita$2
Detroit$0
Health
Wichita$254
Detroit$396

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

WichitaDetroit
Property Tax
$0
$44
Sales Tax
$246
$200
Income Tax
$57
$1,045
Intergovernmental
$3,895
$291
Charges & Fees
$3,193
$2,228
Other
$2,783
$6,892

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

WichitaDetroit
Fire Protection
$152
$2,429
Highways & Roads
$126
$0
Education
$2
$0
Public Welfare
$441
$833
Health
$254
$396
Hospitals
$113
$2,217
Parks & Recreation
$874
$950
Housing
$2,618
$5,791
Sewerage
$0
$451
Utilities
$1,225
$2,737
Interest on Debt
$70
$2,068
Other
$2,111
$13,216
A
Wichita, KS
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health
B
Detroit, MI
Fiscal Health Score: 69/100
Good fiscal health

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