Wichita, KS vs Raleigh, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Raleigh, NC outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $13,911 versus $7,986, a 74% 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 76/100 (grade B) for Raleigh, NC — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Wichita, KS carries the lighter load at $132 per resident versus $906 for Raleigh, NC. 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 Raleigh, NC at $1,391.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Wichita, KS and 47% in Raleigh, NC.
Summary
Raleigh spends 42.6% more per capita than Wichita ($5,925/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 | $858 |
| Income Tax | $57 | $806 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,895 | $14,128 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,193 | $2,681 |
| Other | $2,783 | $4,740 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $152 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $126 | $448 |
| Education | $2 | $6 |
| Public Welfare | $441 | $498 |
| Health | $254 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $113 | $669 |
| Parks & Recreation | $874 | $1,391 |
| Housing | $2,618 | $2,712 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $281 |
| Utilities | $1,225 | $2,469 |
| Interest on Debt | $70 | $1,513 |
| Other | $2,111 | $3,646 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.