Carson, NV vs Sparks, NV
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Carson, NV outspends Sparks, NV by a wide margin per resident — $24,832 versus $9,634, a 158% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Sparks, NV edges Carson, NV on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 67/100 (grade B) to 66/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
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 Sparks, NV leads with parks and recreation at $873.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Carson, NV at 34% of total revenue, whereas Sparks, NV relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Carson spends 157.8% more per capita than Sparks ($15,198/person difference). Sparks, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $225 | $74 |
| Income Tax | $1,260 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $953 | $8,498 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,983 | $0 |
| Other | $9,278 | $3,990 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,045 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $2,831 | $629 |
| Highways & Roads | $337 | $0 |
| Education | $23 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,268 | $387 |
| Health | $259 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $400 | $231 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,900 | $873 |
| Housing | $4,279 | $3,512 |
| Sewerage | $470 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,620 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $322 | $0 |
| Other | $8,079 | $4,002 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.