Wichita, KS vs Kansas City, MO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Kansas City, MO outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $22,820 versus $7,986, a 186% 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 52/100 (grade C) for Kansas City, MO — a 38-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Kansas City, MO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Wichita, KS carries $132 per resident. 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 Kansas City, MO at $1,309.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Wichita, KS at 14% of total revenue, whereas Kansas City, MO relies most on other revenue at 835%.
Summary
Kansas City spends 65.0% more per capita than Wichita ($14,834/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 | $623 |
| Income Tax | $57 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,895 | $7 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,193 | $3,794 |
| Other | $2,783 | $11,150 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $152 | $119 |
| Highways & Roads | $126 | $0 |
| Education | $2 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $441 | $3,018 |
| Health | $254 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $113 | $1,849 |
| Parks & Recreation | $874 | $1,309 |
| Housing | $2,618 | $4,681 |
| Utilities | $1,225 | $3,123 |
| Interest on Debt | $70 | $0 |
| Other | $2,111 | $8,721 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.