Kansas’s budget basics

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), Kansas’s total expenditures in fiscal year (FY) 2021 were $21.3 billion, including general funds, other state funds, bonds, and federal funds. NASBO reported that total expenditures across all states in FY 2021 were $2.7 trillion, ranging from $4.7 billion in Wyoming to $512.8 billion in California.

Each state allocates spending and taxes differently among different levels of governments, and local governments often administer programs with state funds, so combined state and local government data show a more complete picture of individual benefits and contributions when comparing states.

Per the US Census Bureau, Kansas’s combined state and local direct general expenditures were $28.2 billion in FY 2019 (the most recent year census data were available), or $9,671 per capita. (Census data exclude “business-like” activities such as utilities and transfers between state and local governments.) National per capita direct general expenditures were $10,161.

Kansas’s largest spending areas per capita were elementary and secondary education ($2,291) and public welfare ($1,637). The Census Bureau includes most Medicaid spending in public welfare but also allocates some of it to public hospitals. Per capita spending is useful for state comparisons but is an incomplete metric because it doesn’t provide any information about a state’s demographics, policy decisions, administrative procedures, or residents’ choices.

Kansas’s combined state and local general revenues were $29.7 billion in FY 2019, or $10,182 per capita. National per capita general revenues were $10,563. Kansas uses all major state and local taxes. Kansas’s largest sources of per capita revenue were charges ($2,396), such as state university tuition and highway tolls, and property taxes ($1,661).

Kansas’s politics

Governor Laura Kelly, a Democrat, was elected in 2018 with 48 percent of the vote. The next gubernatorial election is in 2022.

Kansas has a divided government. Republicans control both the House of Representatives (86 Republicans to 39 Democrats) and Senate (29 Republicans to 11 Democrats), with veto-proof majorities in both houses. All Kansas House seats are on the ballot in 2022 because representatives serve two-year terms. Senators serve four-year terms, and their seats are on the ballot in 2024.

Kansas’s budget institutions, rules, and constraints

Kansas uses an annual budget. The legislature must pass a balanced budget, but it can carry a deficit over into the following year. There are no additional tax and expenditure limits. There are, however, limits on total authorized debt and debt service incurred by the state.

(Note: Some states have informal budget institutions that constrain overall spending growth or a specific expenditure’s growth.)

Kansas’s current budget

Governor Kelly released her FY 2023 budget proposal and gave her state of the state address in January 2022.

Kansas enacted its FY 2022 budget in April 2021. The enacted budget included $20.5 billion in total spending and $8.14 billion in general fund spending. The general fund spending increased 9.0 percent compared to the previously enacted budget. In May 2021, Kansas enacted a series of individual and business tax cuts, including increasing the state’s standard deduction.

Under the American Rescue Plan, Kansas will receive $1.6 billion in direct state fiscal aid and $826 million in local government aid from the federal government. As of January 2022, Kansas had spent part of its ARP funds on refilling its unemployment insurance trust fund.

According to NASBO, Kansas’s recent expenditure totals (general fund spending/total spending, including federal transfers) were:

• FY 2021: $7.6 billion/$21.3 billion

• FY 2020: $7.5 billion/$19.4 billion

• FY 2019: $7.0 billion/$16.9 billion

For more on Kansas’s budget, see

• the Kansas Division of the Budget and
• the Kansas Legislative Research Department.

Kansas’s economic trends

Kansas’s per capita income (per the Bureau of Economic Analysis) was $59,324 in 2021, ranking 25th among the states. It was below both the national average of $63,444 and the Plains regional average of $60,113. The state’s median household income (five-year estimate) was $61,091 in 2020, ranking 30th among the states and below the national average of $64,994. Kansas’s poverty rate was 11.4 percent in 2020 (five-year estimate), below the national rate of 12.8 percent.

Although Kansas’s averages tell a story about the entire state, Kansas is composed of diverse localities. For example, the city of Pittsburg’s median household income was $34,353, and its poverty rate was 27.5 percent; the city of Leawood’s median household income was $156,538, and its poverty rate was 1.4 percent.

Kansas’s unemployment rate has historically been below the national average, particularly following the Great Recession. (See how COVID-19 is affecting state employment and earnings data.)

Unemployment rates (like other economic indicators) often vary significantly by race and ethnicity. In Kansas, the average unemployment rate in 2021 was 3.1 percent for white residents and 3.6 percent for Hispanic or Latino residents. (This is preliminary data. See the 2020 data for a more detailed breakdown of state unemployment rates by race and ethnicity.)