Indianapolis city (balance), IN vs Phoenix, AZ
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Indianapolis city (balance), IN outspends Phoenix, AZ by a wide margin per resident — $46,045 versus $15,793, a 192% 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 edges Phoenix, AZ on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 74/100 (grade B) to 67/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Indianapolis city (balance), IN carries the lighter load at $577 per resident versus $1,156 for Phoenix, AZ. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Indianapolis city (balance), IN leads with police at $2,032 per resident, while Phoenix, AZ leads with parks and recreation at $652.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Indianapolis city (balance), IN at 6% of total revenue, whereas Phoenix, AZ relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Indianapolis city (balance) spends 191.6% more per capita than Phoenix ($30,252/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 | $7 |
| Sales Tax | $178 | $338 |
| Income Tax | $136 | $1,260 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,312 | $50,709 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,813 | $2,998 |
| Other | $4,675 | $2,038 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $2,032 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $397 | $170 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $86 |
| Education | $0 | $214 |
| Public Welfare | $1,469 | $507 |
| Health | $0 | $258 |
| Hospitals | $2,453 | $1,521 |
| Parks & Recreation | $798 | $652 |
| Housing | $2,664 | $3,879 |
| Sewerage | $248 | $388 |
| Utilities | $2,227 | $2,480 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,381 | $1,760 |
| General Admin | $23,227 | $0 |
| Other | $9,149 | $3,878 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.