Wichita, KS vs San Jose, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Jose, CA outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $17,934 versus $7,986, a 125% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Wichita, KS and San Jose, CA both land at 90/100 (grade A and A respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
San Jose, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Wichita, KS carries $132 per resident. 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 San Jose, CA at $1,424.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Wichita, KS at 14% of total revenue, whereas San Jose, CA relies most on other revenue at 9%.
Summary
San Jose spends 55.5% more per capita than Wichita ($9,949/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $40 |
| Sales Tax | $246 | $315 |
| Income Tax | $57 | $1,935 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,895 | $2,680 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,193 | $608 |
| Other | $2,783 | $3,519 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $152 | $0 |
| Highways & Roads | $126 | $0 |
| Education | $2 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $441 | $810 |
| Health | $254 | $609 |
| Hospitals | $113 | $1,254 |
| Parks & Recreation | $874 | $1,424 |
| Housing | $2,618 | $4,897 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $161 |
| Utilities | $1,225 | $2,533 |
| Interest on Debt | $70 | $0 |
| Other | $2,111 | $6,247 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.