Indianapolis city (balance), IN vs Chicago, IL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Indianapolis city (balance), IN spends 33% more per resident than Chicago, IL: $46,045 against $34,551. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Indianapolis city (balance), IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 74/100 (grade B) against 61/100 (grade C) for Chicago, IL — a 13-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 $977 for Chicago, IL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Indianapolis city (balance), IN leads with police at $2,032 per resident, while Chicago, IL leads with fire protection at $10,754.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Indianapolis city (balance), IN at 6% of total revenue, whereas Chicago, IL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Indianapolis city (balance) spends 33.3% more per capita than Chicago ($11,494/person difference). Indianapolis city (balance), IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 74/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $20 | $26 |
| Sales Tax | $178 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $136 | $229 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,312 | $85,083 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,813 | $2,847 |
| Other | $4,675 | $3,463 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,032 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $397 | $10,754 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $930 |
| Public Welfare | $1,469 | $1,858 |
| Health | $0 | $426 |
| Hospitals | $2,453 | $1,444 |
| Parks & Recreation | $798 | $122 |
| Housing | $2,664 | $6,520 |
| Sewerage | $248 | $129 |
| Utilities | $2,227 | $2,983 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,381 | $0 |
| General Admin | $23,227 | $0 |
| Other | $9,149 | $9,385 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.