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

South Bend, IN vs Fort Wayne, IN

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

Summary

South Bend spends 237.3% more per capita than Fort Wayne ($25,129/person difference). Fort Wayne, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
South Bend, IN
Pop. 103,084
D
48/100
Budget Balance33
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency0
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Fort Wayne, IN
Pop. 264,514
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
South Bend
Fort Wayne
Total Spending
$3.7B
$2.8B
Spending / Capita
$35,719
$10,590
Total Revenue
$1.9B
$5.4B
Revenue / Capita
$18,281
$20,350
Total Debt
$29.7M
$0
Debt / Capita
$288
$0
Population
103,084
264,514
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
South Bend$2,100
Fort Wayne$423
Highways & Roads
South Bend$2
Fort Wayne$77
Parks & Recreation
South Bend$1,973
Fort Wayne$856

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

South BendFort Wayne
Property Tax
$10
$28
Sales Tax
$759
$441
Income Tax
$955
$584
Intergovernmental
$18,281
$5,531
Charges & Fees
$2,775
$2,515
Other
$6,625
$189

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

South BendFort Wayne
Fire Protection
$2,100
$423
Highways & Roads
$2
$77
Public Welfare
$1,509
$1,325
Hospitals
$800
$944
Parks & Recreation
$1,973
$856
Housing
$2,520
$2,758
Sewerage
$348
$0
Utilities
$1,910
$638
Interest on Debt
$1,088
$546
Other
$23,468
$3,025
D
South Bend, IN
Fiscal Health Score: 48/100
Below average fiscal health
A
Fort Wayne, IN
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health

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