South Bend, IN vs Fort Wayne, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
South Bend, IN outspends Fort Wayne, IN by a wide margin per resident — $35,719 versus $10,590, a 237% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Fort Wayne, IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 48/100 (grade D) for South Bend, IN — a 42-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Fort Wayne, 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: South Bend, IN leads with fire protection at $2,100 per resident, while Fort Wayne, IN leads with parks and recreation at $856.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in South Bend, IN and 27% in Fort Wayne, IN.
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
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| 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)
| 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 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.