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

Atlanta, GA vs Indianapolis city (balance), IN

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Indianapolis city (balance), IN outspends Atlanta, GA by a wide margin per resident — $46,045 versus $25,457, a 81% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 74/100 (grade B) for Indianapolis city (balance), IN — a 11-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Indianapolis city (balance), IN carries $577 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Atlanta, GA leads with parks and recreation at $1,274 per resident, while Indianapolis city (balance), IN leads with police at $2,032.

They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Atlanta, GA at 6% of total revenue, whereas Indianapolis city (balance), IN relies most on other revenue at 6%.

Summary

Indianapolis city (balance) spends 44.7% more per capita than Atlanta ($20,588/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Atlanta, GA
Pop. 494,838
A
85/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency64
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
B
74/100
Budget Balance98
Debt Burden98
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Atlanta
Indianapolis city (balance)
Total Spending
$12.6B
$40.6B
Spending / Capita
$25,457
$46,045
Total Revenue
$77.6B
$66.0B
Revenue / Capita
$156,803
$74,799
Total Debt
$0
$509.0M
Debt / Capita
$0
$577
Population
494,838
882,006
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Atlanta$315
Indianapolis city (balance)$2,032
Fire Protection
Atlanta$464
Indianapolis city (balance)$397
Highways & Roads
Atlanta$513
Indianapolis city (balance)$0
Parks & Recreation
Atlanta$1,274
Indianapolis city (balance)$798
Education
Atlanta$25
Indianapolis city (balance)$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

AtlantaIndianapolis city (balance)
Property Tax
$419
$20
Sales Tax
$0
$178
Income Tax
$1,292
$136
Intergovernmental
$9,121
$1,312
Charges & Fees
$5,645
$2,813
Other
$5,461
$4,675

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

AtlantaIndianapolis city (balance)
Police
$315
$2,032
Fire Protection
$464
$397
Highways & Roads
$513
$0
Education
$25
$0
Public Welfare
$1,587
$1,469
Hospitals
$55
$2,453
Parks & Recreation
$1,274
$798
Housing
$4,594
$2,664
Sewerage
$343
$248
Utilities
$8,026
$2,227
Interest on Debt
$0
$1,381
General Admin
$0
$23,227
Other
$8,262
$9,149
A
Atlanta, GA
Fiscal Health Score: 85/100
Excellent fiscal health
B
Indianapolis city (balance), IN
Fiscal Health Score: 74/100
Good fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.