Charlotte, NC vs Durham, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Durham, NC outspends Charlotte, NC by a wide margin per resident — $31,264 versus $15,854, a 97% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Durham, NC edges Charlotte, NC on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 66/100 (grade B) to 63/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Durham, NC 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 Durham, NC leads with education at $17,100.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Charlotte, NC at 10% of total revenue, whereas Durham, NC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 39%.
Summary
Durham spends 49.3% more per capita than Charlotte ($15,411/person difference). Durham, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 66/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $541 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $366 | $164 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,859 | $6,775 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,459 | $0 |
| Other | $4,866 | $924 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $921 |
| Fire Protection | $463 | $682 |
| Highways & Roads | $41 | $461 |
| Education | $0 | $17,100 |
| Public Welfare | $672 | $0 |
| Health | $0 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $1,243 | $159 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,571 | $0 |
| Housing | $3,944 | $1,169 |
| Utilities | $2,244 | $2,350 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,226 | $32 |
| General Admin | $0 | $43 |
| Other | $3,448 | $7,830 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.