Charleston, SC vs Columbia, SC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Charleston, SC spends 20% more per resident than Columbia, SC: $23,793 against $19,896. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Columbia, SC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 50/100 (grade C) for Charleston, SC — a 15-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Charleston, SC reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Columbia, SC carries $1,389 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Charleston, SC at $3,903 per resident and in Columbia, SC at $1,265.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Charleston, SC at 82% of total revenue, whereas Columbia, SC relies most on charges and fees at 13%.
Summary
Charleston spends 19.6% more per capita than Columbia ($3,897/person difference). Columbia, SC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,723 | $623 |
| Income Tax | $2,502 | $42 |
| Intergovernmental | $646 | $6,842 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $8,276 |
| Other | $4,635 | $6,537 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,726 | $467 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,309 | $454 |
| Public Welfare | $902 | $433 |
| Health | $2,099 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,042 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,903 | $1,265 |
| Housing | $5,779 | $3,604 |
| Sewerage | $191 | $141 |
| Utilities | $2,955 | $4,665 |
| General Admin | $625 | $0 |
| Other | $4,305 | $7,824 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.