Gary, IN vs Bloomington, IN

Gary, IN spends 41% more per resident than Bloomington, IN: $21,825 against $15,529. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.

Bloomington, IN edges Gary, IN on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 75/100 (grade B) to 71/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.

Gary, IN reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Bloomington, IN carries $356 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Gary, IN at $358 per resident and in Bloomington, IN at $1,294.

They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Gary, IN at 100% of total revenue, whereas Bloomington, IN relies most on other revenue at 15%.