Wichita, KS vs El Paso, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
El Paso, TX outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $24,259 versus $7,986, a 204% 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 61/100 (grade C) for El Paso, TX — a 29-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
El Paso, 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 El Paso, TX leads with police at $1,159.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Wichita, KS and 10% in El Paso, TX.
Summary
El Paso spends 67.1% more per capita than Wichita ($16,273/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 | $65 |
| Income Tax | $57 | $12 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,895 | $690 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,193 | $31 |
| Other | $2,783 | $550 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,159 |
| Fire Protection | $152 | $233 |
| Highways & Roads | $126 | $83 |
| Education | $2 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $441 | $299 |
| Health | $254 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $113 | $11 |
| Parks & Recreation | $874 | $151 |
| Housing | $2,618 | $958 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $6 |
| Utilities | $1,225 | $224 |
| Interest on Debt | $70 | $40 |
| General Admin | $0 | $17,951 |
| Other | $2,111 | $3,145 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.