Gary, IN vs Carmel, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Gary, IN spends 33% more per resident than Carmel, IN: $21,825 against $16,389. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Gary, IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 71/100 (grade B) against 56/100 (grade C) for Carmel, IN — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Gary, 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 Gary, IN at $358 per resident and in Carmel, IN at $1,484.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Gary, IN and 100% in Carmel, IN.
Summary
Gary spends 33.2% more per capita than Carmel ($5,436/person difference). Gary, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 71/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $46 | $1,264 |
| Income Tax | $64 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $30,129 | $90,764 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $5,500 |
| Other | $10,510 | $2,404 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $231 | $166 |
| Highways & Roads | $210 | $354 |
| Public Welfare | $886 | $1,885 |
| Hospitals | $721 | $1,121 |
| Parks & Recreation | $358 | $1,484 |
| Housing | $2,936 | $2,696 |
| Utilities | $113 | $1,251 |
| Interest on Debt | $846 | $0 |
| Other | $15,525 | $7,432 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.