Indianapolis city (balance), IN vs Fort Wayne, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Indianapolis city (balance), IN outspends Fort Wayne, IN by a wide margin per resident — $46,045 versus $10,590, a 335% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Fort Wayne, IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 74/100 (grade B) for Indianapolis city (balance), IN — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Fort Wayne, IN 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 Fort Wayne, IN leads with parks and recreation at $856.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Indianapolis city (balance), IN at 6% of total revenue, whereas Fort Wayne, IN relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 27%.
Summary
Indianapolis city (balance) spends 334.8% more per capita than Fort Wayne ($35,455/person difference). Fort Wayne, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $20 | $28 |
| Sales Tax | $178 | $441 |
| Income Tax | $136 | $584 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,312 | $5,531 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,813 | $2,515 |
| Other | $4,675 | $189 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,032 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $397 | $423 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $77 |
| Public Welfare | $1,469 | $1,325 |
| Hospitals | $2,453 | $944 |
| Parks & Recreation | $798 | $856 |
| Housing | $2,664 | $2,758 |
| Sewerage | $248 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,227 | $638 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,381 | $546 |
| General Admin | $23,227 | $0 |
| Other | $9,149 | $3,025 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.