Carmel, IN vs Gary, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Gary, IN spends 33% more per resident than Carmel, IN: $21,825 against $16,389. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Gary, IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 71/100 (grade B) against 56/100 (grade C) for Carmel, IN — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Gary, IN reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Carmel, IN carries $846 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Carmel, IN at $1,484 per resident and in Gary, IN at $358.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Carmel, IN and 100% in Gary, IN.
Summary
Gary spends 24.9% more per capita than Carmel ($5,436/person difference). Gary, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 71/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,264 | $46 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $64 |
| Intergovernmental | $90,764 | $30,129 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,500 | $0 |
| Other | $2,404 | $10,510 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $166 | $231 |
| Highways & Roads | $354 | $210 |
| Public Welfare | $1,885 | $886 |
| Hospitals | $1,121 | $721 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,484 | $358 |
| Housing | $2,696 | $2,936 |
| Utilities | $1,251 | $113 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $846 |
| Other | $7,432 | $15,525 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.