Charlotte, NC vs Colorado Springs, CO
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Charlotte, NC spends 20% more per resident than Colorado Springs, CO: $15,854 against $13,222. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Charlotte, NC edges Colorado Springs, CO on the Fiscal Health Score by 4 points — 63/100 (grade C) to 59/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Charlotte, NC carries the lighter load at $2,690 per resident versus $3,063 for Colorado Springs, CO. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Charlotte, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,571 per resident, while Colorado Springs, CO leads with fire protection at $1,266.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Charlotte, NC at 10% of total revenue, whereas Colorado Springs, CO relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 13%.
Summary
Charlotte spends 19.9% more per capita than Colorado Springs ($2,631/person difference). Charlotte, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $541 | $257 |
| Income Tax | $366 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,859 | $6,902 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,459 | $5,676 |
| Other | $4,866 | $2,678 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $463 | $1,266 |
| Highways & Roads | $41 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $672 | $575 |
| Hospitals | $1,243 | $416 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,571 | $376 |
| Housing | $3,944 | $2,713 |
| Utilities | $2,244 | $2,566 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,226 | $190 |
| Other | $3,448 | $5,120 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.