Charlotte, NC vs Dallas, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Dallas, TX outspends Charlotte, NC by a wide margin per resident — $34,849 versus $15,854, a 120% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Charlotte, NC edges Dallas, TX on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 63/100 (grade C) to 57/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Dallas, TX reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Charlotte, NC carries $2,690 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Charlotte, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,571 per resident, while Dallas, TX leads with police at $1,519.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Charlotte, NC at 10% of total revenue, whereas Dallas, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 22%.
Summary
Dallas spends 54.5% more per capita than Charlotte ($18,996/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)
| Property Tax | $0 | $9 |
| Sales Tax | $541 | $25 |
| Income Tax | $366 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,859 | $1,223 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,459 | $0 |
| Other | $4,866 | $584 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,519 |
| Fire Protection | $463 | $305 |
| Highways & Roads | $41 | $201 |
| Education | $0 | $62 |
| Public Welfare | $672 | $215 |
| Hospitals | $1,243 | $385 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,571 | $0 |
| Housing | $3,944 | $444 |
| Utilities | $2,244 | $833 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,226 | $0 |
| General Admin | $0 | $25,827 |
| Other | $3,448 | $5,059 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.