South Bend, IN vs Lafayette, IN
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
South Bend, IN outspends Lafayette, IN by a wide margin per resident — $35,719 versus $15,637, a 128% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Lafayette, IN holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 77/100 (grade B) against 48/100 (grade D) for South Bend, IN — a 29-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Lafayette, 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 Lafayette, IN leads with parks and recreation at $930.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in South Bend, IN and 100% in Lafayette, IN.
Summary
South Bend spends 128.4% more per capita than Lafayette ($20,082/person difference). Lafayette, IN has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 77/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $10 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $759 | $323 |
| Income Tax | $955 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,281 | $36,145 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,775 | $2,183 |
| Other | $6,625 | $5,635 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $2,100 | $30 |
| Highways & Roads | $2 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,509 | $472 |
| Hospitals | $800 | $83 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,973 | $930 |
| Housing | $2,520 | $2,665 |
| Sewerage | $348 | $0 |
| Utilities | $1,910 | $3,776 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,088 | $2,122 |
| Other | $23,468 | $5,559 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.