South Bend, IN vs Gary, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
South Bend, IN outspends Gary, IN by a wide margin per resident — $35,719 versus $21,825, a 64% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Gary, IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 71/100 (grade B) against 48/100 (grade D) for South Bend, IN — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Gary, 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 Gary, IN leads with parks and recreation at $358.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in South Bend, IN and 100% in Gary, IN.
Summary
South Bend spends 63.7% more per capita than Gary ($13,894/person difference). Gary, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 71/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $759 | $46 |
| Income Tax | $955 | $64 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,281 | $30,129 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,775 | $0 |
| Other | $6,625 | $10,510 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $2,100 | $231 |
| Highways & Roads | $2 | $210 |
| Public Welfare | $1,509 | $886 |
| Hospitals | $800 | $721 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,973 | $358 |
| Housing | $2,520 | $2,936 |
| Sewerage | $348 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,910 | $113 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,088 | $846 |
| Other | $23,468 | $15,525 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.