Fort Wayne, IN vs South Bend, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
South Bend, IN outspends Fort Wayne, IN by a wide margin per resident — $35,719 versus $10,590, a 237% 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 48/100 (grade D) for South Bend, IN — a 42-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Fort Wayne, IN reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while South Bend, IN carries $288 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fort Wayne, IN leads with parks and recreation at $856 per resident, while South Bend, IN leads with fire protection at $2,100.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 27% of total revenue in Fort Wayne, IN and 100% in South Bend, IN.
Summary
South Bend spends 70.4% more per capita than Fort Wayne ($25,129/person difference). Fort Wayne, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $28 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $441 | $759 |
| Income Tax | $584 | $955 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,531 | $18,281 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,515 | $2,775 |
| Other | $189 | $6,625 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $423 | $2,100 |
| Highways & Roads | $77 | $2 |
| Public Welfare | $1,325 | $1,509 |
| Hospitals | $944 | $800 |
| Parks & Recreation | $856 | $1,973 |
| Housing | $2,758 | $2,520 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $348 |
| Utilities | $638 | $1,910 |
| Interest on Debt | $546 | $1,088 |
| Other | $3,025 | $23,468 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.