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

Austin, TX vs Charlotte, NC

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Austin spends 37.3% more per capita than Charlotte ($5,918/person difference). Austin, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 75/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Austin, TX
Pop. 958,202
B
75/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden38
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency80
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Charlotte, NC
Pop. 875,045
C
63/100
Budget Balance71
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Austin
Charlotte
Total Spending
$20.9B
$13.9B
Spending / Capita
$21,772
$15,854
Total Revenue
$74.4B
$43.5B
Revenue / Capita
$77,600
$49,746
Total Debt
$1.2B
$2.4B
Debt / Capita
$1,229
$2,690
Population
958,202
875,045
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Austin$634
Charlotte$463
Highways & Roads
Austin$0
Charlotte$41
Parks & Recreation
Austin$1,801
Charlotte$1,571
Education
Austin$51
Charlotte$0
Health
Austin$517
Charlotte$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

AustinCharlotte
Sales Tax
$526
$541
Income Tax
$1,465
$366
Intergovernmental
$14,031
$1,859
Charges & Fees
$3,247
$2,459
Other
$5,645
$4,866

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

AustinCharlotte
Fire Protection
$634
$463
Highways & Roads
$0
$41
Education
$51
$0
Public Welfare
$1,837
$672
Health
$517
$0
Hospitals
$664
$1,243
Parks & Recreation
$1,801
$1,571
Housing
$3,741
$3,944
Sewerage
$865
$0
Utilities
$3,264
$2,244
Interest on Debt
$0
$2,226
Other
$8,399
$3,448
B
Austin, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 75/100
Good fiscal health
C
Charlotte, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health

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