Indianapolis city (balance), IN vs New York, NY
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
New York, NY outspends Indianapolis city (balance), IN by a wide margin per resident — $129,119 versus $46,045, a 180% 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 64/100 (grade C) for New York, NY — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, New York, NY carries the lighter load at $462 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 New York, NY leads with education at $37,892.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Indianapolis city (balance), IN at 6% of total revenue, whereas New York, NY relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
New York spends 64.3% more per capita than Indianapolis city (balance) ($83,074/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 | $5 |
| Sales Tax | $178 | $399 |
| Income Tax | $136 | $19 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,312 | $20,520 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,813 | $1,835 |
| Other | $4,675 | $3,593 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,032 | $1,512 |
| Fire Protection | $397 | $11,050 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $221 |
| Education | $0 | $37,892 |
| Public Welfare | $1,469 | $1,116 |
| Health | $0 | $417 |
| Hospitals | $2,453 | $6,467 |
| Parks & Recreation | $798 | $868 |
| Housing | $2,664 | $7,137 |
| Sewerage | $248 | $315 |
| Utilities | $2,227 | $13,371 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,381 | $11,706 |
| General Admin | $23,227 | $11,668 |
| Other | $9,149 | $25,380 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.