Wichita, KS vs Manhattan, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Manhattan, KS spends 53% more per resident than Wichita, KS: $12,218 against $7,986. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Wichita, KS holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 80/100 (grade A) for Manhattan, KS — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Manhattan, KS carries the lighter load at $46 per resident versus $132 for Wichita, 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 Manhattan, KS at $1,328.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Wichita, KS and 100% in Manhattan, KS.
Summary
Manhattan spends 34.6% more per capita than Wichita ($4,232/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 | $42 |
| Income Tax | $57 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,895 | $20,434 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,193 | $2,350 |
| Other | $2,783 | $3,349 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $152 | $203 |
| Highways & Roads | $126 | $69 |
| Education | $2 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $441 | $806 |
| Health | $254 | $680 |
| Hospitals | $113 | $184 |
| Parks & Recreation | $874 | $1,328 |
| Housing | $2,618 | $0 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $173 |
| Utilities | $1,225 | $2,330 |
| Interest on Debt | $70 | $0 |
| Other | $2,111 | $6,445 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.