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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Fort Wayne, IN vs Hammond, IN

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Hammond, IN outspends Fort Wayne, IN by a wide margin per resident — $25,779 versus $10,590, a 143% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Fort Wayne, IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 67/100 (grade B) for Hammond, IN — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

Fort Wayne, IN reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Hammond, IN carries $129 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Fort Wayne, IN at $856 per resident and in Hammond, IN at $823.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 27% of total revenue in Fort Wayne, IN and 100% in Hammond, IN.

Summary

Hammond spends 58.9% more per capita than Fort Wayne ($15,189/person difference). Fort Wayne, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Fort Wayne, IN
Pop. 264,514
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Hammond, IN
Pop. 77,390
B
67/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency13
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Fort Wayne
Hammond
Total Spending
$2.8B
$2.0B
Spending / Capita
$10,590
$25,779
Total Revenue
$5.4B
$2.7B
Revenue / Capita
$20,350
$34,733
Total Debt
$0
$10.0M
Debt / Capita
$0
$129
Population
264,514
77,390
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Fort Wayne$423
Hammond$789
Highways & Roads
Fort Wayne$77
Hammond$0
Parks & Recreation
Fort Wayne$856
Hammond$823

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Fort WayneHammond
Property Tax
$28
$0
Sales Tax
$441
$5
Income Tax
$584
$0
Intergovernmental
$5,531
$34,733
Charges & Fees
$2,515
$3,504
Other
$189
$8,679

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Fort WayneHammond
Fire Protection
$423
$789
Highways & Roads
$77
$0
Public Welfare
$1,325
$1,360
Hospitals
$944
$159
Parks & Recreation
$856
$823
Housing
$2,758
$3,937
Utilities
$638
$2,592
Interest on Debt
$546
$0
Other
$3,025
$16,119
A
Fort Wayne, IN
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health
B
Hammond, IN
Fiscal Health Score: 67/100
Good fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.