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

Indianapolis city (balance), IN vs San Francisco, CA

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

San Francisco, CA outspends Indianapolis city (balance), IN by a wide margin per resident — $184,131 versus $46,045, a 300% 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 48/100 (grade D) for San Francisco, CA — a 26-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 $2,031 for San Francisco, CA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Indianapolis city (balance), IN leads with police at $2,032 per resident, while San Francisco, CA leads with parks and recreation at $4,119.

They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Indianapolis city (balance), IN at 6% of total revenue, whereas San Francisco, CA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 7%.

Summary

San Francisco spends 75.0% more per capita than Indianapolis city (balance) ($138,086/person difference). Indianapolis city (balance), IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 74/100).

Fiscal Health Score

B
74/100
Budget Balance98
Debt Burden98
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
San Francisco, CA
Pop. 851,036
D
48/100
Budget Balance70
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Indianapolis city (balance)
San Francisco
Total Spending
$40.6B
$156.7B
Spending / Capita
$46,045
$184,131
Total Revenue
$66.0B
$232.3B
Revenue / Capita
$74,799
$272,907
Total Debt
$509.0M
$1.7B
Debt / Capita
$577
$2,031
Population
882,006
851,036
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Indianapolis city (balance)$2,032
San Francisco$3,351
Fire Protection
Indianapolis city (balance)$397
San Francisco$2,281
Parks & Recreation
Indianapolis city (balance)$798
San Francisco$4,119
Health
Indianapolis city (balance)$0
San Francisco$1,911

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Indianapolis city (balance)San Francisco
Property Tax
$20
$148
Sales Tax
$178
$3,028
Income Tax
$136
$269
Intergovernmental
$1,312
$19,762
Charges & Fees
$2,813
$7,961
Other
$4,675
$18,918

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Indianapolis city (balance)San Francisco
Police
$2,032
$3,351
Fire Protection
$397
$2,281
Public Welfare
$1,469
$2,203
Health
$0
$1,911
Hospitals
$2,453
$6,939
Parks & Recreation
$798
$4,119
Housing
$2,664
$9,315
Sewerage
$248
$1,423
Utilities
$2,227
$21,190
Interest on Debt
$1,381
$22,798
General Admin
$23,227
$14,899
Other
$9,149
$93,702
B
Indianapolis city (balance), IN
Fiscal Health Score: 74/100
Good fiscal health
D
San Francisco, CA
Fiscal Health Score: 48/100
Below average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

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