Indianapolis city (balance), IN vs El Paso, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Indianapolis city (balance), IN outspends El Paso, TX by a wide margin per resident — $46,045 versus $24,259, a 90% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Indianapolis city (balance), IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 74/100 (grade B) against 61/100 (grade C) for El Paso, TX — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
El Paso, 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 El Paso, TX at $1,159.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Indianapolis city (balance), IN at 6% of total revenue, whereas El Paso, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 10%.
Summary
Indianapolis city (balance) spends 89.8% more per capita than El Paso ($21,786/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $178 | $65 |
| Income Tax | $136 | $12 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,312 | $690 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,813 | $31 |
| Other | $4,675 | $550 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,032 | $1,159 |
| Fire Protection | $397 | $233 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $83 |
| Public Welfare | $1,469 | $299 |
| Hospitals | $2,453 | $11 |
| Parks & Recreation | $798 | $151 |
| Housing | $2,664 | $958 |
| Sewerage | $248 | $6 |
| Utilities | $2,227 | $224 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,381 | $40 |
| General Admin | $23,227 | $17,951 |
| Other | $9,149 | $3,145 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.