Wichita, KS vs Olathe, KS
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Olathe, KS outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $14,735 versus $7,986, a 85% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Wichita, KS edges Olathe, KS on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 90/100 (grade A) to 84/100 (grade A). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Olathe, KS 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 Olathe, KS leads with health at $497.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Wichita, KS at 14% of total revenue, whereas Olathe, KS relies most on other revenue at 12%.
Summary
Olathe spends 45.8% more per capita than Wichita ($6,749/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 | $796 |
| Sales Tax | $246 | $992 |
| Income Tax | $57 | $1,135 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,895 | $2,471 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,193 | $1,283 |
| Other | $2,783 | $2,971 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $152 | $281 |
| Highways & Roads | $126 | $141 |
| Education | $2 | $35 |
| Public Welfare | $441 | $1,206 |
| Health | $254 | $497 |
| Hospitals | $113 | $470 |
| Parks & Recreation | $874 | $456 |
| Housing | $2,618 | $2,111 |
| Utilities | $1,225 | $4,550 |
| Interest on Debt | $70 | $0 |
| Other | $2,111 | $4,988 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.