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

Indianapolis city (balance), IN vs Washington, DC

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

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

Washington, DC outspends Indianapolis city (balance), IN by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $46,045, a 428% 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 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 33-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 $2,516 for Washington, DC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Indianapolis city (balance), IN leads with police at $2,032 per resident, while Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224.

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

Summary

Washington spends 81.1% more per capita than Indianapolis city (balance) ($197,296/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
Washington, DC
Pop. 670,587
D
41/100
Budget Balance45
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Indianapolis city (balance)
Washington
Total Spending
$40.6B
$163.2B
Spending / Capita
$46,045
$243,341
Total Revenue
$66.0B
$186.2B
Revenue / Capita
$74,799
$277,701
Total Debt
$509.0M
$1.7B
Debt / Capita
$577
$2,516
Population
882,006
670,587
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Indianapolis city (balance)$2,032
Washington$4,183
Fire Protection
Indianapolis city (balance)$397
Washington$4,262
Highways & Roads
Indianapolis city (balance)$0
Washington$1,435
Parks & Recreation
Indianapolis city (balance)$798
Washington$5,459
Education
Indianapolis city (balance)$0
Washington$53,224
Health
Indianapolis city (balance)$0
Washington$1,009

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Indianapolis city (balance)Washington
Property Tax
$20
$25
Sales Tax
$178
$991
Income Tax
$136
$141
Intergovernmental
$1,312
$18,754
Charges & Fees
$2,813
$4,070
Other
$4,675
$11,518

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Indianapolis city (balance)Washington
Police
$2,032
$4,183
Fire Protection
$397
$4,262
Highways & Roads
$0
$1,435
Education
$0
$53,224
Public Welfare
$1,469
$2,498
Health
$0
$1,009
Hospitals
$2,453
$17,668
Parks & Recreation
$798
$5,459
Housing
$2,664
$10,296
Sewerage
$248
$2,881
Utilities
$2,227
$88,990
Interest on Debt
$1,381
$58
General Admin
$23,227
$3,225
Other
$9,149
$48,155
B
Indianapolis city (balance), IN
Fiscal Health Score: 74/100
Good fiscal health
D
Washington, DC
Fiscal Health Score: 41/100
Below average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

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