Wichita, KS vs Houston, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Houston, TX outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $14,400 versus $7,986, a 80% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Wichita, KS edges Houston, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 90/100 (grade A) to 83/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Wichita, KS carries the lighter load at $132 per resident versus $863 for Houston, TX. 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 Houston, TX at $361.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Wichita, KS at 14% of total revenue, whereas Houston, TX relies most on other revenue at 7%.
Summary
Houston spends 44.5% more per capita than Wichita ($6,414/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 | $181 |
| Income Tax | $57 | $39 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,895 | $33 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,193 | $3,475 |
| Other | $2,783 | $3,960 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $152 | $295 |
| Highways & Roads | $126 | $175 |
| Education | $2 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $441 | $533 |
| Health | $254 | $210 |
| Hospitals | $113 | $511 |
| Parks & Recreation | $874 | $361 |
| Housing | $2,618 | $4,288 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $386 |
| Utilities | $1,225 | $1,339 |
| Interest on Debt | $70 | $0 |
| Other | $2,111 | $6,301 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.