Charlotte, NC vs Arlington, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Charlotte, NC spends 35% more per resident than Arlington, TX: $15,854 against $11,769. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Arlington, TX holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 83/100 (grade A) against 63/100 (grade C) for Charlotte, NC — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Arlington, TX carries the lighter load at $594 per resident versus $2,690 for Charlotte, NC. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Charlotte, NC at $1,571 per resident and in Arlington, TX at $1,352.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Charlotte, NC at 10% of total revenue, whereas Arlington, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 41%.
Summary
Charlotte spends 34.7% more per capita than Arlington ($4,084/person difference). Arlington, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $541 | $507 |
| Income Tax | $366 | $73 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,859 | $25,062 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,459 | $2,949 |
| Other | $4,866 | $3,897 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $463 | $160 |
| Highways & Roads | $41 | $149 |
| Public Welfare | $672 | $826 |
| Health | $0 | $219 |
| Hospitals | $1,243 | $152 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,571 | $1,352 |
| Housing | $3,944 | $2,981 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $141 |
| Utilities | $2,244 | $1,385 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,226 | $0 |
| Other | $3,448 | $4,404 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.