Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Charlotte, NC vs Cary, NC

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Cary spends 1.3% more per capita than Charlotte ($204/person difference). Cary, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Charlotte, NC
Pop. 875,045
C
63/100
Budget Balance71
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Cary, NC
Pop. 174,880
B
70/100
Budget Balance86
Debt Burden80
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency85
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Charlotte
Cary
Total Spending
$13.9B
$2.8B
Spending / Capita
$15,854
$16,057
Total Revenue
$43.5B
$4.6B
Revenue / Capita
$49,746
$26,541
Total Debt
$2.4B
$101.8M
Debt / Capita
$2,690
$582
Population
875,045
174,880
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Charlotte$463
Cary$353
Highways & Roads
Charlotte$41
Cary$0
Parks & Recreation
Charlotte$1,571
Cary$1,581

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

CharlotteCary
Sales Tax
$541
$493
Income Tax
$366
$801
Intergovernmental
$1,859
$26,541
Charges & Fees
$2,459
$1,981
Other
$4,866
$3,182

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

CharlotteCary
Fire Protection
$463
$353
Highways & Roads
$41
$0
Public Welfare
$672
$58
Hospitals
$1,243
$322
Parks & Recreation
$1,571
$1,581
Housing
$3,944
$1,880
Sewerage
$0
$338
Utilities
$2,244
$3,759
Interest on Debt
$2,226
$733
Other
$3,448
$7,034
C
Charlotte, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health
B
Cary, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 70/100
Good fiscal health

Compare More Cities