Gary, IN vs South Bend, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
South Bend, IN outspends Gary, IN by a wide margin per resident — $35,719 versus $21,825, a 64% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Gary, IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 71/100 (grade B) against 48/100 (grade D) for South Bend, IN — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Gary, IN reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while South Bend, IN carries $288 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Gary, IN leads with parks and recreation at $358 per resident, while South Bend, IN leads with fire protection at $2,100.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Gary, IN and 100% in South Bend, IN.
Summary
South Bend spends 38.9% more per capita than Gary ($13,894/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)
| Property Tax | $0 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $46 | $759 |
| Income Tax | $64 | $955 |
| Intergovernmental | $30,129 | $18,281 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,775 |
| Other | $10,510 | $6,625 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $231 | $2,100 |
| Highways & Roads | $210 | $2 |
| Public Welfare | $886 | $1,509 |
| Hospitals | $721 | $800 |
| Parks & Recreation | $358 | $1,973 |
| Housing | $2,936 | $2,520 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $348 |
| Utilities | $113 | $1,910 |
| Interest on Debt | $846 | $1,088 |
| Other | $15,525 | $23,468 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.