Lafayette, IN vs South Bend, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
South Bend, IN outspends Lafayette, IN by a wide margin per resident — $35,719 versus $15,637, a 128% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Lafayette, IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 77/100 (grade B) against 48/100 (grade D) for South Bend, IN — a 29-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Lafayette, IN reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while South Bend, IN carries $288 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Lafayette, IN leads with parks and recreation at $930 per resident, while South Bend, IN leads with fire protection at $2,100.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Lafayette, IN and 100% in South Bend, IN.
Summary
South Bend spends 56.2% more per capita than Lafayette ($20,082/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 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $323 | $759 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $955 |
| Intergovernmental | $36,145 | $18,281 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,183 | $2,775 |
| Other | $5,635 | $6,625 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $30 | $2,100 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $2 |
| Public Welfare | $472 | $1,509 |
| Hospitals | $83 | $800 |
| Parks & Recreation | $930 | $1,973 |
| Housing | $2,665 | $2,520 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $348 |
| Utilities | $3,776 | $1,910 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,122 | $1,088 |
| Other | $5,559 | $23,468 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.