Carson, NV vs Reno, NV
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Carson, NV outspends Reno, NV by a wide margin per resident — $24,832 versus $11,698, a 112% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Reno, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 66/100 (grade B) for Carson, NV — a 24-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 Reno, NV leads with parks and recreation at $536.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 34% of total revenue in Carson, NV and 24% in Reno, NV.
Summary
Carson spends 112.3% more per capita than Reno ($13,134/person difference). Reno, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $225 | $195 |
| Income Tax | $1,260 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $953 | $2,610 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,983 | $0 |
| Other | $9,278 | $4,147 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,045 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $2,831 | $110 |
| Highways & Roads | $337 | $0 |
| Education | $23 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,268 | $930 |
| Health | $259 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $400 | $905 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,900 | $536 |
| Housing | $4,279 | $3,888 |
| Sewerage | $470 | $498 |
| Utilities | $2,620 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $322 | $0 |
| Other | $8,079 | $4,830 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.