Bloomington, IN vs South Bend, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
South Bend, IN outspends Bloomington, IN by a wide margin per resident — $35,719 versus $15,529, a 130% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Bloomington, IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 75/100 (grade B) against 48/100 (grade D) for South Bend, IN — a 27-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, South Bend, IN carries the lighter load at $288 per resident versus $356 for Bloomington, IN. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Bloomington, IN leads with parks and recreation at $1,294 per resident, while South Bend, IN leads with fire protection at $2,100.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Bloomington, IN at 15% of total revenue, whereas South Bend, IN relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
South Bend spends 56.5% more per capita than Bloomington ($20,190/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 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $885 | $759 |
| Income Tax | $227 | $955 |
| Intergovernmental | $3,245 | $18,281 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,522 | $2,775 |
| Other | $3,643 | $6,625 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $183 | $2,100 |
| Highways & Roads | $116 | $2 |
| Public Welfare | $759 | $1,509 |
| Hospitals | $362 | $800 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,294 | $1,973 |
| Housing | $1,661 | $2,520 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $348 |
| Utilities | $1,857 | $1,910 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,179 | $1,088 |
| Other | $8,118 | $23,468 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.