Charleston, SC vs North Charleston, SC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Charleston, SC outspends North Charleston, SC by a wide margin per resident — $23,793 versus $12,917, a 84% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
North Charleston, SC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 50/100 (grade C) for Charleston, SC — a 30-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: Charleston, SC leads with parks and recreation at $3,903 per resident, while North Charleston, SC leads with fire protection at $1,323.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Charleston, SC at 82% of total revenue, whereas North Charleston, SC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Charleston spends 84.2% more per capita than North Charleston ($10,876/person difference). North Charleston, SC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $1,723 | $231 |
| Income Tax | $2,502 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $646 | $23,753 |
| Other | $4,635 | $632 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,726 | $1,323 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,309 | $867 |
| Public Welfare | $902 | $0 |
| Health | $2,099 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $194 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,903 | $987 |
| Housing | $5,779 | $3,880 |
| Sewerage | $191 | $274 |
| Utilities | $2,955 | $650 |
| General Admin | $625 | $0 |
| Other | $4,305 | $4,742 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.