Houston, TX vs Indianapolis city (balance), IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Indianapolis city (balance), IN outspends Houston, TX by a wide margin per resident — $46,045 versus $14,400, a 220% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Houston, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 74/100 (grade B) for Indianapolis city (balance), IN — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Indianapolis city (balance), IN carries the lighter load at $577 per resident versus $863 for Houston, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Houston, TX leads with parks and recreation at $361 per resident, while Indianapolis city (balance), IN leads with police at $2,032.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 7% of total revenue in Houston, TX and 6% in Indianapolis city (balance), IN.
Summary
Indianapolis city (balance) spends 68.7% more per capita than Houston ($31,645/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $20 |
| Sales Tax | $181 | $178 |
| Income Tax | $39 | $136 |
| Intergovernmental | $33 | $1,312 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,475 | $2,813 |
| Other | $3,960 | $4,675 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $2,032 |
| Fire Protection | $295 | $397 |
| Highways & Roads | $175 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $533 | $1,469 |
| Health | $210 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $2,453 |
| Parks & Recreation | $361 | $798 |
| Housing | $4,288 | $2,664 |
| Sewerage | $386 | $248 |
| Utilities | $1,339 | $2,227 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,381 |
| General Admin | $0 | $23,227 |
| Other | $6,301 | $9,149 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.