Wichita, KS

66
How we calculate the Wichita ParkScore® Ranking

The ranking for Wichita is based on how it compares nationally on five characteristics of an excellent park system: acreage, access, investment, amenities, and equity.

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Acreage
55 pts
Access
37 pts
Investment
20 pts
Amenities
48 pts
Equity
73 pts
53% of Wichita residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
Median City, 100 most populous U.S. cities: 74%
Median City, all urban cities and towns in U.S.: 55%

We’re working to ensure that every person, in every neighborhood, in every city across America has a quality park within a 10-minute walk of home.

Wichita residents who live within a 10-minute walk of a park
The average distance most people are willing to walk to reach a destination is 10-minutes or roughly half a mile. The 10-minute walk standard helps us examine the availability of parks close to home.
By Age (%)
Children (0 - 19)
55
Adults (20 - 64)
54
Seniors (65+)
53
By Income (%)
High Income
45
Middle Income
57
Low Income
62
By Race/Ethnicity (%)
Native American*
59
Asian*
43
Black*
65
Hispanic
65
Pacific Islander*
62
White*
49
2 or More Races*
54
Other*
56
*Excludes those who report Hispanic origin (which is captured separately from race by the U.S. Census).
Comparing amount of park space between neighborhoods by race/ethnicity
Across the country, parks located in neighborhoods with a majority of residents of color are half the size of parks in predominantly white neighborhoods yet serve five times more people per acre, according to TPL park equity data. In Wichita, residents in neighborhoods of color* have access to 69% more park space per person than the city’s average neighborhood and 52% more than those in white neighborhoods. Additionally, we compared park space in the city’s average neighborhood with others by specific race and ethnicity:
Asian Neighborhoods
23% less
Black Neighborhoods
14% more
Hispanic and Latinx Neighborhoods
58% more
American Indian/Alaska Native Neighborhoods
5% more
Pacific Islander Neighborhoods
4% more
Neighborhoods of Multiple Races
10% more
Neighborhoods of Other Race
17% more
White Neighborhoods
11% more
City Median
*Neighborhoods of color are defined as those in Wichita with the highest concentrations of people who identify as Black, Hispanic, Indigenous and Native American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, multiple races, or other communities of color (more information).
Comparing amount of park space between neighborhoods by income
Across the country, parks serving low-income households are four times smaller yet serve four times more people per acre than parks serving high-income households, according to TPL park equity data. In Wichita, residents in low-income neighborhoods have access to 9% more park space per person than those in the average Wichita neighborhood and 40% more than those in high-income neighborhoods.
Low-income Neighborhoods
9% more
High-income Neighborhoods
22% less
City Median
5% of Wichita’s land is used for parks and recreation.
National median 15%
How do park amenities measure up?
Parks help foster healthy, inclusive, and flourishing communities—the cities with the highest ParkScore ratings are healthier places to live. These six amenities reflect activities popular among a diverse selection of user groups (kids, teenagers, adults, seniors). For each amenity, Wichita is awarded points based on their abundance relative to the other 99 cities.
Basketball Hoops
34/100pts
3.2 per 10,000 people
Playgrounds
28/100pts
2.3 per 10,000 people
Rec & Senior Centers
22/100pts
0.5 per 20,000 people
Dog Parks
43/100pts
1.3 per 100,000 people
Bathrooms
63/100pts
2.1 per 10,000 people
Splashpads
100/100pts
3.1 per 100,000 people
How much is Wichita investing in parks?
We compared Wichita with the other 100 most populous cities in the nation on total park investment per person, aggregating all public and private spending for any publicly accessible park in the city. Visit our City Park Facts database to see how the other big cities stack up.
Park Investment (Three-Year Average)
  • City agency
    $75 (96%)
  • Other public agencies
    $0 (%)
  • Private organizations
    $1.15 (1%)
  • Monetized volunteer hours
    $2.18 (3%)
$78
Total Spending Per Capita
  • National benchmark: Relative park spending by organization type
  • Average among 100 most populous cities
  • City agency: 86%
  • Other public agencies: 7%
  • Private organizations: 5%
  • Monetized volunteer hours: 2%
  • Total per capita spending: $124 per person
Leaflet | ESRI
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Where are the parks most needed?
Wichita has 133 parks.

Trust for Public Land has mapped park access for every urban area in the U.S., including Puerto Rico. Our ParkServe® mapping platform helps you pinpoint park investments to address park need, climate, equity, and health.