Austin, TX vs Indianapolis city (balance), IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Indianapolis city (balance), IN outspends Austin, TX by a wide margin per resident — $46,045 versus $21,772, a 111% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Austin, TX edges Indianapolis city (balance), IN on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 75/100 (grade B) to 74/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Indianapolis city (balance), IN carries the lighter load at $577 per resident versus $1,229 for Austin, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Austin, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,801 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 Austin, TX at 18% of total revenue, whereas Indianapolis city (balance), IN relies most on other revenue at 6%.
Summary
Indianapolis city (balance) spends 52.7% more per capita than Austin ($24,273/person difference). Austin, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $20 |
| Sales Tax | $526 | $178 |
| Income Tax | $1,465 | $136 |
| Intergovernmental | $14,031 | $1,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,247 | $2,813 |
| Other | $5,645 | $4,675 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,032 |
| Fire Protection | $634 | $397 |
| Education | $51 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,837 | $1,469 |
| Health | $517 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $664 | $2,453 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,801 | $798 |
| Housing | $3,741 | $2,664 |
| Sewerage | $865 | $248 |
| Utilities | $3,264 | $2,227 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,381 |
| General Admin | $0 | $23,227 |
| Other | $8,399 | $9,149 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.