Indianapolis city (balance), IN vs Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Indianapolis city (balance), IN outspends Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY by a wide margin per resident — $46,045 versus $20,200, a 128% 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 35/100 (grade D) for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY — a 39-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 $3,553 for Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Indianapolis city (balance), IN leads with police at $2,032 per resident, while Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY leads with fire protection at $1,132.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 6% of total revenue in Indianapolis city (balance), IN and 103% in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), KY.
Summary
Indianapolis city (balance) spends 127.9% more per capita than Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) ($25,845/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 | $1,138 |
| Income Tax | $136 | $24 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,312 | $412 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,813 | $3,823 |
| Other | $4,675 | $8,878 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,032 | $701 |
| Fire Protection | $397 | $1,132 |
| Education | $0 | $956 |
| Public Welfare | $1,469 | $1,849 |
| Health | $0 | $379 |
| Hospitals | $2,453 | $779 |
| Parks & Recreation | $798 | $1,070 |
| Housing | $2,664 | $2,382 |
| Sewerage | $248 | $249 |
| Utilities | $2,227 | $3,844 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,381 | $1,517 |
| General Admin | $23,227 | $0 |
| Other | $9,149 | $5,344 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.