Evansville, IN vs South Bend, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
South Bend, IN outspends Evansville, IN by a wide margin per resident — $35,719 versus $14,467, a 147% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Evansville, IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 48/100 (grade D) for South Bend, IN — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, South Bend, IN carries the lighter load at $288 per resident versus $4,624 for Evansville, IN. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Evansville, IN leads with parks and recreation at $1,054 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 Evansville, IN at 10% of total revenue, whereas South Bend, IN relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
South Bend spends 59.5% more per capita than Evansville ($21,252/person difference). Evansville, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 69/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $109 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $395 | $759 |
| Income Tax | $578 | $955 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,427 | $18,281 |
| Charges & Fees | $361 | $2,775 |
| Other | $6,966 | $6,625 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $349 | $2,100 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $2 |
| Education | $86 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $234 | $1,509 |
| Hospitals | $308 | $800 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,054 | $1,973 |
| Housing | $2,835 | $2,520 |
| Sewerage | $79 | $348 |
| Utilities | $5,299 | $1,910 |
| Interest on Debt | $553 | $1,088 |
| Other | $3,669 | $23,468 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.