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

Wichita, KS vs Miami, FL

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Miami, FL outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $28,195 versus $7,986, a 253% 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 53/100 (grade C) for Miami, FL — a 37-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Miami, FL reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Wichita, KS carries $132 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Wichita, KS leads with parks and recreation at $874 per resident, while Miami, FL leads with fire protection at $7,399.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Wichita, KS and 100% in Miami, FL.

Summary

Miami spends 71.7% more per capita than Wichita ($20,209/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
Miami, FL
Pop. 443,665
C
53/100
Budget Balance22
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency51
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Wichita
Miami
Total Spending
$3.2B
$12.5B
Spending / Capita
$7,986
$28,195
Total Revenue
$10.7B
$6.7B
Revenue / Capita
$27,057
$15,037
Total Debt
$52.2M
$0
Debt / Capita
$132
$0
Population
395,951
443,665
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Wichita$152
Miami$7,399
Highways & Roads
Wichita$126
Miami$0
Parks & Recreation
Wichita$874
Miami$1,783
Education
Wichita$2
Miami$0
Health
Wichita$254
Miami$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

WichitaMiami
Property Tax
$0
$0
Sales Tax
$246
$1,647
Income Tax
$57
$0
Intergovernmental
$3,895
$15,037
Charges & Fees
$3,193
$0
Other
$2,783
$1,399

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

WichitaMiami
Fire Protection
$152
$7,399
Highways & Roads
$126
$0
Education
$2
$0
Public Welfare
$441
$109
Health
$254
$0
Hospitals
$113
$1,499
Parks & Recreation
$874
$1,783
Housing
$2,618
$6,840
Sewerage
$0
$699
Utilities
$1,225
$1,295
Interest on Debt
$70
$0
Other
$2,111
$8,572
A
Wichita, KS
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health
C
Miami, FL
Fiscal Health Score: 53/100
Average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.