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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Wichita, KS vs Manhattan, KS

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

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

City A
Wichita, KS
Pop. 395,951
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Manhattan, KS
Pop. 54,287
A
80/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Wichita
Manhattan
Total Spending
$3.2B
$663.3M
Spending / Capita
$7,986
$12,218
Total Revenue
$10.7B
$1.1B
Revenue / Capita
$27,057
$20,434
Total Debt
$52.2M
$2.5M
Debt / Capita
$132
$46
Population
395,951
54,287
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Wichita$152
Manhattan$203
Highways & Roads
Wichita$126
Manhattan$69
Parks & Recreation
Wichita$874
Manhattan$1,328
Education
Wichita$2
Manhattan$0
Health
Wichita$254
Manhattan$680

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

WichitaManhattan
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)

WichitaManhattan
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
A
Wichita, KS
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health
A
Manhattan, KS
Fiscal Health Score: 80/100
Excellent fiscal health

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