Bloomington, IN vs Lafayette, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lafayette, IN and Bloomington, IN spend within 0.7% of each other per resident — $15,637 versus $15,529 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Lafayette, IN edges Bloomington, IN on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 77/100 (grade B) to 75/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Lafayette, 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 Lafayette, IN at $930.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Bloomington, IN at 15% of total revenue, whereas Lafayette, IN relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Lafayette spends 0.7% more per capita than Bloomington ($108/person difference). Lafayette, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 77/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $364 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $885 | $323 |
| Income Tax | $227 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,245 | $36,145 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,522 | $2,183 |
| Other | $3,643 | $5,635 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $183 | $30 |
| Highways & Roads | $116 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $759 | $472 |
| Hospitals | $362 | $83 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,294 | $930 |
| Housing | $1,661 | $2,665 |
| Utilities | $1,857 | $3,776 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,179 | $2,122 |
| Other | $8,118 | $5,559 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.