Lafayette, IN vs Bloomington, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lafayette, IN and Bloomington, IN spend within 0.7% of each other per resident — $15,637 versus $15,529 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Lafayette, IN edges Bloomington, IN on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 77/100 (grade B) to 75/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Lafayette, IN reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Bloomington, IN carries $356 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Lafayette, IN at $930 per resident and in Bloomington, IN at $1,294.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Lafayette, IN at 100% of total revenue, whereas Bloomington, IN relies most on other revenue at 15%.
Summary
Lafayette spends 0.7% more per capita than Bloomington ($108/person difference). Lafayette, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 77/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $364 |
| Sales Tax | $323 | $885 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $227 |
| Intergovernmental | $36,145 | $3,245 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,183 | $2,522 |
| Other | $5,635 | $3,643 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $30 | $183 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $116 |
| Public Welfare | $472 | $759 |
| Hospitals | $83 | $362 |
| Parks & Recreation | $930 | $1,294 |
| Housing | $2,665 | $1,661 |
| Utilities | $3,776 | $1,857 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,122 | $1,179 |
| Other | $5,559 | $8,118 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.