Hammond, IN vs South Bend, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
South Bend, IN spends 39% more per resident than Hammond, IN: $35,719 against $25,779. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Hammond, IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 48/100 (grade D) for South Bend, IN — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Hammond, IN carries the lighter load at $129 per resident versus $288 for South Bend, IN. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Hammond, IN leads with parks and recreation at $823 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 Hammond, IN and 100% in South Bend, IN.
Summary
South Bend spends 27.8% more per capita than Hammond ($9,940/person difference). Hammond, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $5 | $759 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $955 |
| Intergovernmental | $34,733 | $18,281 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,504 | $2,775 |
| Other | $8,679 | $6,625 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $789 | $2,100 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $2 |
| Public Welfare | $1,360 | $1,509 |
| Hospitals | $159 | $800 |
| Parks & Recreation | $823 | $1,973 |
| Housing | $3,937 | $2,520 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $348 |
| Utilities | $2,592 | $1,910 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,088 |
| Other | $16,119 | $23,468 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.