Carson, NV vs Las Vegas, NV
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Carson, NV outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $24,832 versus $9,085, a 173% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 66/100 (grade B) for Carson, NV — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Carson, NV leads with fire protection at $2,831 per resident, while Las Vegas, NV leads with parks and recreation at $1,028.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 34% of total revenue in Carson, NV and 34% in Las Vegas, NV.
Summary
Carson spends 173.3% more per capita than Las Vegas ($15,746/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $50 |
| Sales Tax | $225 | $386 |
| Income Tax | $1,260 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $953 | $1,137 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,983 | $0 |
| Other | $9,278 | $2,806 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,045 | $945 |
| Fire Protection | $2,831 | $280 |
| Highways & Roads | $337 | $45 |
| Education | $23 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,268 | $705 |
| Health | $259 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $400 | $356 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,900 | $1,028 |
| Housing | $4,279 | $23 |
| Sewerage | $470 | $332 |
| Utilities | $2,620 | $129 |
| Interest on Debt | $322 | $0 |
| Other | $8,079 | $5,243 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.