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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Wichita, KS vs Topeka, KS

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Topeka spends 44.7% more per capita than Wichita ($6,449/person difference). Wichita, KS has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Wichita, KS
Pop. 395,951
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Topeka, KS
Pop. 126,431
A
87/100
Budget Balance90
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency94
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Wichita
Topeka
Total Spending
$3.2B
$1.8B
Spending / Capita
$7,986
$14,435
Total Revenue
$10.7B
$4.7B
Revenue / Capita
$27,057
$37,151
Total Debt
$52.2M
$3.8M
Debt / Capita
$132
$30
Population
395,951
126,431
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Wichita$152
Topeka$190
Highways & Roads
Wichita$126
Topeka$353
Parks & Recreation
Wichita$874
Topeka$55
Education
Wichita$2
Topeka$0
Health
Wichita$254
Topeka$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

WichitaTopeka
Property Tax
$0
$823
Sales Tax
$246
$182
Income Tax
$57
$0
Intergovernmental
$3,895
$3,030
Charges & Fees
$3,193
$6,883
Other
$2,783
$4,080

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

WichitaTopeka
Fire Protection
$152
$190
Highways & Roads
$126
$353
Education
$2
$0
Public Welfare
$441
$3,253
Health
$254
$0
Hospitals
$113
$0
Parks & Recreation
$874
$55
Housing
$2,618
$3,032
Utilities
$1,225
$3,548
Interest on Debt
$70
$663
Other
$2,111
$3,342
A
Wichita, KS
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health
A
Topeka, KS
Fiscal Health Score: 87/100
Excellent fiscal health

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