Gary, IN vs Lafayette, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Gary, IN spends 40% more per resident than Lafayette, IN: $21,825 against $15,637. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Lafayette, IN edges Gary, IN on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 77/100 (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.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. 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 Lafayette, IN at $930.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Gary, IN and 100% in Lafayette, IN.
Summary
Gary spends 39.6% more per capita than Lafayette ($6,188/person difference). Lafayette, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 77/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $46 | $323 |
| Income Tax | $64 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $30,129 | $36,145 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,183 |
| Other | $10,510 | $5,635 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $231 | $30 |
| Highways & Roads | $210 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $886 | $472 |
| Hospitals | $721 | $83 |
| Parks & Recreation | $358 | $930 |
| Housing | $2,936 | $2,665 |
| Utilities | $113 | $3,776 |
| Interest on Debt | $846 | $2,122 |
| Other | $15,525 | $5,559 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.