Wichita, KS vs Oklahoma City, OK
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oklahoma City, OK outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $18,074 versus $7,986, a 126% 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 65/100 (grade B) for Oklahoma City, OK — a 25-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Wichita, KS carries the lighter load at $132 per resident versus $3,520 for Oklahoma City, OK. 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 Oklahoma City, OK at $2,014.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Wichita, KS and 19% in Oklahoma City, OK.
Summary
Oklahoma City spends 55.8% more per capita than Wichita ($10,088/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 | $763 |
| Income Tax | $57 | $1,037 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,895 | $6,852 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,193 | $3,256 |
| Other | $2,783 | $1,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $152 | $513 |
| Highways & Roads | $126 | $0 |
| Education | $2 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $441 | $1,525 |
| Health | $254 | $5 |
| Hospitals | $113 | $2,044 |
| Parks & Recreation | $874 | $2,014 |
| Housing | $2,618 | $2,857 |
| Utilities | $1,225 | $4,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $70 | $707 |
| Other | $2,111 | $3,886 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.