Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Gary, IN

Population: 69,136 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

B
71/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$1.5B
Per Capita
$21,825
Total Revenue
$2.1B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
71.1%$1.1B
Housing & Community Development
13.5%$203.0M
Public Welfare
4.1%$61.3M
Interest on Debt
3.9%$58.5M
Hospitals
3.3%$49.9M
Parks & Recreation
1.6%$24.7M
Fire Protection
1.1%$16.0M
Highways & Roads
1.0%$14.5M
Utilities
0.5%$7.8M

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
0.2%$3.2M
Income Tax
0.2%$4.4M
Intergovernmental
100.0%$2.1B
Other
34.9%$726.6M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$231/person
Highways & Roads$210/person
Parks & Recreation$358/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)100/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)39/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Gary 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 Gary 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

Gary, IN spends $21,825 per resident, based on total expenditures of $1.5B for a population of 69,136. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (71/100).

Gary, IN has total expenditures of $1.5B and total revenue of $2.1B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Gary, 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.

Gary, IN has a Fiscal Health Score of B (71/100). 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.

Last updated: