Gary, IN vs Hammond, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Hammond, IN spends 18% more per resident than Gary, IN: $25,779 against $21,825. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Gary, IN edges Hammond, IN on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 71/100 (grade B) to 67/100 (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 Hammond, IN carries $129 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 Hammond, IN at $823.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Gary, IN and 100% in Hammond, IN.
Summary
Hammond spends 15.3% more per capita than Gary ($3,954/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 | $5 |
| Income Tax | $64 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $30,129 | $34,733 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $3,504 |
| Other | $10,510 | $8,679 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $231 | $789 |
| Highways & Roads | $210 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $886 | $1,360 |
| Hospitals | $721 | $159 |
| Parks & Recreation | $358 | $823 |
| Housing | $2,936 | $3,937 |
| Utilities | $113 | $2,592 |
| Interest on Debt | $846 | $0 |
| Other | $15,525 | $16,119 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.