Wichita, KS vs Fresno, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $43,387 versus $7,986, a 443% 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 50/100 (grade C) for Fresno, CA — a 40-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Fresno, CA 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 Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Wichita, KS at 14% of total revenue, whereas Fresno, CA relies most on other revenue at 19%.
Summary
Fresno spends 81.6% more per capita than Wichita ($35,401/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 | $337 |
| Sales Tax | $246 | $19 |
| Income Tax | $57 | $501 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,895 | -$4,470 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,193 | $11 |
| Other | $2,783 | $2,070 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,261 |
| Fire Protection | $152 | $568 |
| Highways & Roads | $126 | $0 |
| Education | $2 | $3,942 |
| Public Welfare | $441 | $1,946 |
| Health | $254 | $599 |
| Hospitals | $113 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $874 | $76 |
| Housing | $2,618 | $2,856 |
| Utilities | $1,225 | $15,340 |
| Interest on Debt | $70 | $255 |
| Other | $2,111 | $14,545 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.