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

North Charleston, SC

Population: 115,755 (2022) · Mid-Size Cities (100K–250K)

A
80/100

Excellent fiscal health — strong reserves, low debt, well-funded pensions

Total Spending
$1.5B
Per Capita
$12,917
Total Revenue
$2.7B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
36.7%$549.0M
Housing & Community Development
30.0%$449.1M
Fire Protection
10.2%$153.2M
Parks & Recreation
7.6%$114.3M
Highways & Roads
6.7%$100.3M
Utilities
5.0%$75.2M
Sewerage
2.1%$31.7M
Hospitals
1.5%$22.5M

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
1.0%$26.7M
Intergovernmental
100.0%$2.7B
Other
2.7%$73.2M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$1,323/person
Highways & Roads$867/person
Parks & Recreation$987/person

Score Breakdown

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

Compare Cities

See how North Charleston stacks up against another city.

vs Charleston, SCvs Columbia, 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

Charleston, SC

Pop. 150K

C
Total Spending
$3.6B
Per Capita
$23,793

Columbia, SC

Pop. 137K

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

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 North Charleston With

Charleston, SC

Spending: $23,793/person · Grade: C

Columbia, SC

Spending: $19,896/person · Grade: B

Mount Pleasant, SC

Spending: $12,111/person · Grade: B

Rock Hill, SC

Spending: $17,824/person · Grade: A

Frequently Asked Questions

North Charleston, SC spends $12,917 per resident, based on total expenditures of $1.5B for a population of 115,755. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of A (80/100).

North Charleston, SC has total expenditures of $1.5B and total revenue of $2.7B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

North 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.

North Charleston, SC has a Fiscal Health Score of A (80/100). 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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