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

Charleston, SC

Population: 149,960 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

C
50/100

Average fiscal health — some areas of concern

Total Spending
$3.6B
Per Capita
$23,793
Total Revenue
$849.4M
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Housing & Community Development
24.3%$866.6M
Other
18.1%$645.5M
Parks & Recreation
16.4%$585.3M
Utilities
12.4%$443.1M
Health
8.8%$314.7M
Fire Protection
7.3%$258.8M
Highways & Roads
5.5%$196.3M
Public Welfare
3.8%$135.3M
General Administration
2.6%$93.7M
Sewerage
0.8%$28.6M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Sales Tax
30.4%$258.4M
Income Tax
44.2%$375.3M
Intergovernmental
11.4%$96.8M
Other
81.8%$695.0M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$1,726/person
Highways & Roads$1,309/person
Parks & Recreation$3,903/person
Health$2,099/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)16/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)39/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Charleston stacks up against another city.

vs Columbia, SCvs North Charleston, SCvs Mount Pleasant, SC
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in South Carolina

Columbia, SC

Pop. 137K

B
Total Spending
$2.7B
Per Capita
$19,896

North Charleston, SC

Pop. 116K

A
Total Spending
$1.5B
Per Capita
$12,917

Mount Pleasant, SC

Pop. 91K

B
Total Spending
$1.1B
Per Capita
$12,111

Rock Hill, SC

Pop. 74K

A
Total Spending
$1.3B
Per Capita
$17,824

Compare Charleston With

Columbia, SC

Spending: $19,896/person · Grade: B

North Charleston, SC

Spending: $12,917/person · Grade: A

Mount Pleasant, SC

Spending: $12,111/person · Grade: B

Rock Hill, SC

Spending: $17,824/person · Grade: A

Frequently Asked Questions

Charleston, SC spends $23,793 per resident, based on total expenditures of $3.6B for a population of 149,960. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of C (50/100).

Charleston, SC has total expenditures of $3.6B and total revenue of $849.4M. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Charleston, SC employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Charleston, SC has a Fiscal Health Score of C (50/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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