Wichita, KS vs New York, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $7,986, a 1517% 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 64/100 (grade C) for New York, NY — a 26-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Wichita, KS carries the lighter load at $132 per resident versus $462 for New York, NY. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Wichita, KS leads with parks and recreation at $874 per resident, while New York, NY leads with education at $37,892.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Wichita, KS and 14% in New York, NY.
Summary
New York spends 93.8% more per capita than Wichita ($121,133/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)
| Property Tax | $0 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $246 | $399 |
| Income Tax | $57 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,895 | $20,520 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,193 | $1,835 |
| Other | $2,783 | $3,593 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,512 |
| Fire Protection | $152 | $11,050 |
| Highways & Roads | $126 | $221 |
| Education | $2 | $37,892 |
| Public Welfare | $441 | $1,116 |
| Health | $254 | $417 |
| Hospitals | $113 | $6,467 |
| Parks & Recreation | $874 | $868 |
| Housing | $2,618 | $7,137 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $315 |
| Utilities | $1,225 | $13,371 |
| Interest on Debt | $70 | $11,706 |
| General Admin | $0 | $11,668 |
| Other | $2,111 | $25,380 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.