Lafayette, IN vs Fishers, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Lafayette, IN outspends Fishers, IN by a wide margin per resident — $15,637 versus $6,900, a 127% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Fishers, IN edges Lafayette, IN on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 84/100 (grade A) to 77/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. 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 Fishers, IN at $655.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Lafayette, IN and 61% in Fishers, IN.
Summary
Lafayette spends 126.6% more per capita than Fishers ($8,737/person difference). Fishers, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 84/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $323 | $101 |
| Intergovernmental | $36,145 | $23,257 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,183 | $0 |
| Other | $5,635 | $2,313 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $30 | $330 |
| Public Welfare | $472 | $534 |
| Hospitals | $83 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $930 | $655 |
| Housing | $2,665 | $1,613 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $169 |
| Utilities | $3,776 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,122 | $0 |
| Other | $5,559 | $3,599 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.