Fresno, CA vs Indianapolis city (balance), IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Indianapolis city (balance), IN and Fresno, CA spend within 6.1% of each other per resident — $46,045 versus $43,387 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Indianapolis city (balance), IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 74/100 (grade B) against 50/100 (grade C) for Fresno, CA — a 24-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Fresno, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Indianapolis city (balance), IN carries $577 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942 per resident, while Indianapolis city (balance), IN leads with police at $2,032.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 19% of total revenue in Fresno, CA and 6% in Indianapolis city (balance), IN.
Summary
Indianapolis city (balance) spends 5.8% more per capita than Fresno ($2,658/person difference). Indianapolis city (balance), IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 74/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $337 | $20 |
| Sales Tax | $19 | $178 |
| Income Tax | $501 | $136 |
| Intergovernmental | -$4,470 | $1,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $11 | $2,813 |
| Other | $2,070 | $4,675 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,261 | $2,032 |
| Fire Protection | $568 | $397 |
| Education | $3,942 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,946 | $1,469 |
| Health | $599 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $2,453 |
| Parks & Recreation | $76 | $798 |
| Housing | $2,856 | $2,664 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $248 |
| Utilities | $15,340 | $2,227 |
| Interest on Debt | $255 | $1,381 |
| General Admin | $0 | $23,227 |
| Other | $14,545 | $9,149 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.