South Bend, IN vs Evansville, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
South Bend, IN outspends Evansville, IN by a wide margin per resident — $35,719 versus $14,467, a 147% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Evansville, IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 69/100 (grade B) against 48/100 (grade D) for South Bend, IN — a 21-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, South Bend, IN carries the lighter load at $288 per resident versus $4,624 for Evansville, IN. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: South Bend, IN leads with fire protection at $2,100 per resident, while Evansville, IN leads with parks and recreation at $1,054.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in South Bend, IN at 100% of total revenue, whereas Evansville, IN relies most on other revenue at 10%.
Summary
South Bend spends 146.9% more per capita than Evansville ($21,252/person difference). Evansville, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 69/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $109 |
| Sales Tax | $759 | $395 |
| Income Tax | $955 | $578 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,281 | $2,427 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,775 | $361 |
| Other | $6,625 | $6,966 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $2,100 | $349 |
| Highways & Roads | $2 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $86 |
| Public Welfare | $1,509 | $234 |
| Hospitals | $800 | $308 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,973 | $1,054 |
| Housing | $2,520 | $2,835 |
| Sewerage | $348 | $79 |
| Utilities | $1,910 | $5,299 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,088 | $553 |
| Other | $23,468 | $3,669 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.