Indianapolis city (balance), IN vs Arlington, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Indianapolis city (balance), IN outspends Arlington, TX by a wide margin per resident — $46,045 versus $11,769, a 291% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Arlington, 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 $594 for Arlington, TX. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Indianapolis city (balance), IN leads with police at $2,032 per resident, while Arlington, TX leads with parks and recreation at $1,352.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Indianapolis city (balance), IN at 6% of total revenue, whereas Arlington, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 41%.
Summary
Indianapolis city (balance) spends 291.2% more per capita than Arlington ($34,276/person difference). Arlington, 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 | $20 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $178 | $507 |
| Income Tax | $136 | $73 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,312 | $25,062 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,813 | $2,949 |
| Other | $4,675 | $3,897 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,032 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $397 | $160 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $149 |
| Public Welfare | $1,469 | $826 |
| Health | $0 | $219 |
| Hospitals | $2,453 | $152 |
| Parks & Recreation | $798 | $1,352 |
| Housing | $2,664 | $2,981 |
| Sewerage | $248 | $141 |
| Utilities | $2,227 | $1,385 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,381 | $0 |
| General Admin | $23,227 | $0 |
| Other | $9,149 | $4,404 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.