Carmel, IN vs Hammond, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Hammond, IN spends 57% more per resident than Carmel, IN: $25,779 against $16,389. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Hammond, IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 56/100 (grade C) for Carmel, IN — a 11-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Hammond, IN carries the lighter load at $129 per resident versus $846 for Carmel, IN. 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 Hammond, IN at $823.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Carmel, IN and 100% in Hammond, IN.
Summary
Hammond spends 36.4% more per capita than Carmel ($9,390/person difference). Hammond, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,264 | $5 |
| Intergovernmental | $90,764 | $34,733 |
| Charges & Fees | $5,500 | $3,504 |
| Other | $2,404 | $8,679 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $166 | $789 |
| Highways & Roads | $354 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,885 | $1,360 |
| Hospitals | $1,121 | $159 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,484 | $823 |
| Housing | $2,696 | $3,937 |
| Utilities | $1,251 | $2,592 |
| Other | $7,432 | $16,119 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.