Indianapolis city (balance), IN vs Mesa, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Indianapolis city (balance), IN outspends Mesa, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $46,045 versus $12,768, a 261% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Mesa, AZ 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.
On debt, Mesa, AZ carries the lighter load at $469 per resident versus $577 for Indianapolis city (balance), IN. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Indianapolis city (balance), IN leads with police at $2,032 per resident, while Mesa, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $953.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Indianapolis city (balance), IN at 6% of total revenue, whereas Mesa, AZ relies most on charges and fees at 9%.
Summary
Indianapolis city (balance) spends 260.6% more per capita than Mesa ($33,277/person difference). Mesa, AZ 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 | $47 |
| Sales Tax | $178 | $463 |
| Income Tax | $136 | $1,376 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,312 | $1,383 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,813 | $3,334 |
| Other | $4,675 | $2,253 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,032 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $397 | $422 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $192 |
| Public Welfare | $1,469 | $829 |
| Health | $0 | $147 |
| Hospitals | $2,453 | $537 |
| Parks & Recreation | $798 | $953 |
| Housing | $2,664 | $4,190 |
| Sewerage | $248 | $38 |
| Utilities | $2,227 | $2,376 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,381 | $0 |
| General Admin | $23,227 | $0 |
| Other | $9,149 | $3,082 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.