Bloomington, IN vs Gary, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Gary, IN spends 41% more per resident than Bloomington, IN: $21,825 against $15,529. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Bloomington, IN edges Gary, IN on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 75/100 (grade B) to 71/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Gary, IN reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Bloomington, IN carries $356 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Bloomington, IN at $1,294 per resident and in Gary, IN at $358.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Bloomington, IN at 15% of total revenue, whereas Gary, IN relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Gary spends 28.8% more per capita than Bloomington ($6,296/person difference). Bloomington, IN 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 | $364 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $885 | $46 |
| Income Tax | $227 | $64 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,245 | $30,129 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,522 | $0 |
| Other | $3,643 | $10,510 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $183 | $231 |
| Highways & Roads | $116 | $210 |
| Public Welfare | $759 | $886 |
| Hospitals | $362 | $721 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,294 | $358 |
| Housing | $1,661 | $2,936 |
| Utilities | $1,857 | $113 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,179 | $846 |
| Other | $8,118 | $15,525 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.