Indianapolis city (balance), IN vs Atlanta, GA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Indianapolis city (balance), IN outspends Atlanta, GA by a wide margin per resident — $46,045 versus $25,457, a 81% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Atlanta, GA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 85/100 (grade A) against 74/100 (grade B) for Indianapolis city (balance), IN — a 11-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Atlanta, GA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Indianapolis city (balance), IN carries $577 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Indianapolis city (balance), IN leads with police at $2,032 per resident, while Atlanta, GA leads with parks and recreation at $1,274.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Indianapolis city (balance), IN at 6% of total revenue, whereas Atlanta, GA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 6%.
Summary
Indianapolis city (balance) spends 80.9% more per capita than Atlanta ($20,588/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $20 | $419 |
| Sales Tax | $178 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $136 | $1,292 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,312 | $9,121 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,813 | $5,645 |
| Other | $4,675 | $5,461 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,032 | $315 |
| Fire Protection | $397 | $464 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $513 |
| Education | $0 | $25 |
| Public Welfare | $1,469 | $1,587 |
| Hospitals | $2,453 | $55 |
| Parks & Recreation | $798 | $1,274 |
| Housing | $2,664 | $4,594 |
| Sewerage | $248 | $343 |
| Utilities | $2,227 | $8,026 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,381 | $0 |
| General Admin | $23,227 | $0 |
| Other | $9,149 | $8,262 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.