Fishers, IN vs Carmel, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Carmel, IN outspends Fishers, IN by a wide margin per resident — $16,389 versus $6,900, a 138% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Fishers, IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 84/100 (grade A) against 56/100 (grade C) for Carmel, IN — a 28-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Fishers, 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 Fishers, IN at $655 per resident and in Carmel, IN at $1,484.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 61% of total revenue in Fishers, IN and 100% in Carmel, IN.
Summary
Carmel spends 57.9% more per capita than Fishers ($9,489/person difference). Fishers, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 84/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $101 | $1,264 |
| Intergovernmental | $23,257 | $90,764 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $5,500 |
| Other | $2,313 | $2,404 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $330 | $166 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $354 |
| Public Welfare | $534 | $1,885 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,121 |
| Parks & Recreation | $655 | $1,484 |
| Housing | $1,613 | $2,696 |
| Sewerage | $169 | $0 |
| Utilities | $0 | $1,251 |
| Other | $3,599 | $7,432 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.