Wichita, KS vs Lawrence, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lawrence, KS outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $50,571 versus $7,986, a 533% 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 40/100 (grade D) for Lawrence, KS — a 50-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Wichita, KS carries the lighter load at $132 per resident versus $1,487 for Lawrence, KS. 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 Lawrence, KS at $1,334.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Wichita, KS at 14% of total revenue, whereas Lawrence, KS relies most on other revenue at 13%.
Summary
Lawrence spends 84.2% more per capita than Wichita ($42,585/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 | $452 |
| Income Tax | $57 | $1,646 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,895 | $610 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,193 | $2,976 |
| Other | $2,783 | $5,396 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $152 | $701 |
| Highways & Roads | $126 | $152 |
| Education | $2 | $50 |
| Public Welfare | $441 | $1,409 |
| Health | $254 | $528 |
| Hospitals | $113 | $201 |
| Parks & Recreation | $874 | $1,334 |
| Housing | $2,618 | $2,611 |
| Utilities | $1,225 | $3,966 |
| Interest on Debt | $70 | $301 |
| General Admin | $0 | $32,300 |
| Other | $2,111 | $7,016 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.