Indianapolis city (balance), IN vs Philadelphia, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA spends 22% more per resident than Indianapolis city (balance), IN: $56,272 against $46,045. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Indianapolis city (balance), IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 74/100 (grade B) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 29-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 $1,069 for Philadelphia, PA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Indianapolis city (balance), IN leads with police at $2,032 per resident, while Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Indianapolis city (balance), IN at 6% of total revenue, whereas Philadelphia, PA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 16%.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 18.2% more per capita than Indianapolis city (balance) ($10,227/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 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $136 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,312 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,813 | $2,790 |
| Other | $4,675 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,032 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $397 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $1,215 |
| Public Welfare | $1,469 | $1,456 |
| Health | $0 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $2,453 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $798 | $593 |
| Housing | $2,664 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $248 | $325 |
| Utilities | $2,227 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,381 | $3 |
| General Admin | $23,227 | $0 |
| Other | $9,149 | $30,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.