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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Indianapolis city (balance), IN vs Raleigh, NC

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Indianapolis city (balance), IN outspends Raleigh, NC by a wide margin per resident — $46,045 versus $13,911, a 231% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Raleigh, NC edges Indianapolis city (balance), IN on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 76/100 (grade B) to 74/100 (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 $906 for Raleigh, NC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Indianapolis city (balance), IN leads with police at $2,032 per resident, while Raleigh, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,391.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Indianapolis city (balance), IN at 6% of total revenue, whereas Raleigh, NC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 47%.

Summary

Indianapolis city (balance) spends 231.0% more per capita than Raleigh ($32,134/person difference). Raleigh, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 76/100).

Fiscal Health Score

B
74/100
Budget Balance98
Debt Burden98
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Raleigh, NC
Pop. 465,517
B
76/100
Budget Balance82
Debt Burden68
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity67
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Indianapolis city (balance)
Raleigh
Total Spending
$40.6B
$6.5B
Spending / Capita
$46,045
$13,911
Total Revenue
$66.0B
$13.9B
Revenue / Capita
$74,799
$29,940
Total Debt
$509.0M
$421.6M
Debt / Capita
$577
$906
Population
882,006
465,517
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Indianapolis city (balance)$2,032
Raleigh$0
Fire Protection
Indianapolis city (balance)$397
Raleigh$277
Highways & Roads
Indianapolis city (balance)$0
Raleigh$448
Parks & Recreation
Indianapolis city (balance)$798
Raleigh$1,391
Education
Indianapolis city (balance)$0
Raleigh$6

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Indianapolis city (balance)Raleigh
Property Tax
$20
$0
Sales Tax
$178
$858
Income Tax
$136
$806
Intergovernmental
$1,312
$14,128
Charges & Fees
$2,813
$2,681
Other
$4,675
$4,740

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Indianapolis city (balance)Raleigh
Police
$2,032
$0
Fire Protection
$397
$277
Highways & Roads
$0
$448
Education
$0
$6
Public Welfare
$1,469
$498
Hospitals
$2,453
$669
Parks & Recreation
$798
$1,391
Housing
$2,664
$2,712
Sewerage
$248
$281
Utilities
$2,227
$2,469
Interest on Debt
$1,381
$1,513
General Admin
$23,227
$0
Other
$9,149
$3,646
B
Indianapolis city (balance), IN
Fiscal Health Score: 74/100
Good fiscal health
B
Raleigh, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 76/100
Good fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.