Indianapolis city (balance), IN vs Dallas, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Indianapolis city (balance), IN spends 32% more per resident than Dallas, TX: $46,045 against $34,849. 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 57/100 (grade C) for Dallas, TX — a 17-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Dallas, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Indianapolis city (balance), IN carries $577 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: police leads in Indianapolis city (balance), IN at $2,032 per resident and in Dallas, TX at $1,519.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Indianapolis city (balance), IN at 6% of total revenue, whereas Dallas, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 22%.
Summary
Indianapolis city (balance) spends 32.1% more per capita than Dallas ($11,196/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 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $178 | $25 |
| Income Tax | $136 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,312 | $1,223 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,813 | $0 |
| Other | $4,675 | $584 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,032 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $397 | $305 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $201 |
| Education | $0 | $62 |
| Public Welfare | $1,469 | $215 |
| Hospitals | $2,453 | $385 |
| Parks & Recreation | $798 | $0 |
| Housing | $2,664 | $444 |
| Sewerage | $248 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,227 | $833 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,381 | $0 |
| General Admin | $23,227 | $25,827 |
| Other | $9,149 | $5,059 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.