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

Bloomington, IN vs Gary, IN

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

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

City A
Bloomington, IN
Pop. 79,006
B
75/100
Budget Balance69
Debt Burden78
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency79
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Gary, IN
Pop. 69,136
B
71/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency39
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Bloomington
Gary
Total Spending
$1.2B
$1.5B
Spending / Capita
$15,529
$21,825
Total Revenue
$1.9B
$2.1B
Revenue / Capita
$24,552
$30,129
Total Debt
$28.2M
$0
Debt / Capita
$356
$0
Population
79,006
69,136
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Bloomington$183
Gary$231
Highways & Roads
Bloomington$116
Gary$210
Parks & Recreation
Bloomington$1,294
Gary$358

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

BloomingtonGary
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)

BloomingtonGary
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
B
Bloomington, IN
Fiscal Health Score: 75/100
Good fiscal health
B
Gary, IN
Fiscal Health Score: 71/100
Good fiscal health

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