Wichita, KS vs Virginia Beach, VA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Virginia Beach, VA outspends Wichita, KS by a wide margin per resident — $42,515 versus $7,986, a 432% 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 47/100 (grade D) for Virginia Beach, VA — a 43-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Wichita, KS carries the lighter load at $132 per resident versus $297 for Virginia Beach, VA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Wichita, KS leads with parks and recreation at $874 per resident, while Virginia Beach, VA leads with education at $21,342.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Wichita, KS and 100% in Virginia Beach, VA.
Summary
Virginia Beach spends 81.2% more per capita than Wichita ($34,529/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 | $673 |
| Income Tax | $57 | $831 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,895 | $31,808 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,193 | $1,462 |
| Other | $2,783 | $3,301 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,126 |
| Fire Protection | $152 | $512 |
| Highways & Roads | $126 | $0 |
| Education | $2 | $21,342 |
| Public Welfare | $441 | $2,071 |
| Health | $254 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $113 | $1,036 |
| Parks & Recreation | $874 | $1,574 |
| Housing | $2,618 | $2,788 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $140 |
| Utilities | $1,225 | $3,523 |
| Interest on Debt | $70 | $0 |
| Other | $2,111 | $7,978 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.