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

Columbus, IN

Population: 50,896 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

B
75/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$878.0M
Per Capita
$17,252
Total Revenue
$1.2B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
51.3%$450.7M
Public Welfare
13.3%$116.6M
Housing & Community Development
13.0%$114.6M
Parks & Recreation
8.7%$76.7M
Utilities
6.1%$53.5M
Hospitals
3.1%$27.6M
Interest on Debt
2.7%$23.7M
Fire Protection
1.7%$14.6M
Highways & Roads
0.0%$72K

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Sales Tax
2.2%$26.7M
Income Tax
0.1%$1.8M
Intergovernmental
100.0%$1.2B
Charges & Fees
28.9%$346.3M
Other
18.2%$218.5M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$286/person
Highways & Roads$1/person
Parks & Recreation$1,507/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)100/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)68/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Columbus stacks up against another city.

vs Indianapolis city (balance), INvs Fort Wayne, INvs Evansville, IN
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in Indiana

Indianapolis city (balance), IN

Pop. 882K

B
Total Spending
$40.6B
Per Capita
$46,045

Fort Wayne, IN

Pop. 265K

A
Total Spending
$2.8B
Per Capita
$10,590

Evansville, IN

Pop. 117K

B
Total Spending
$1.7B
Per Capita
$14,467

South Bend, IN

Pop. 103K

D
Total Spending
$3.7B
Per Capita
$35,719

Compare Columbus With

Indianapolis city (balance), IN

Spending: $46,045/person · Grade: B

Fort Wayne, IN

Spending: $10,590/person · Grade: A

Evansville, IN

Spending: $14,467/person · Grade: B

South Bend, IN

Spending: $35,719/person · Grade: D

Frequently Asked Questions

Columbus, IN spends $17,252 per resident, based on total expenditures of $878.0M for a population of 50,896. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (75/100).

Columbus, IN has total expenditures of $878.0M and total revenue of $1.2B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Columbus, IN employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Columbus, IN has a Fiscal Health Score of B (75/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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