South Bend, IN vs Hammond, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
South Bend, IN spends 39% more per resident than Hammond, IN: $35,719 against $25,779. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Hammond, IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 48/100 (grade D) for South Bend, IN — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Hammond, IN carries the lighter load at $129 per resident versus $288 for South Bend, 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 Hammond, IN leads with parks and recreation at $823.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in South Bend, IN and 100% in Hammond, IN.
Summary
South Bend spends 38.6% more per capita than Hammond ($9,940/person difference). Hammond, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $759 | $5 |
| Income Tax | $955 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,281 | $34,733 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,775 | $3,504 |
| Other | $6,625 | $8,679 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $2,100 | $789 |
| Highways & Roads | $2 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,509 | $1,360 |
| Hospitals | $800 | $159 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,973 | $823 |
| Housing | $2,520 | $3,937 |
| Sewerage | $348 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,910 | $2,592 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,088 | $0 |
| Other | $23,468 | $16,119 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.