Charlotte, NC vs Fort Worth, TX
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fort Worth, TX and Charlotte, NC spend within 0.5% of each other per resident — $15,939 versus $15,854 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
On the CitySpend Fiscal Health Score the two are level: Charlotte, NC and Fort Worth, TX both land at 63/100 (grade C and C respectively), so the deciding factors sit in the underlying six-factor breakdown rather than the rolled-up grade.
On debt, Fort Worth, TX carries the lighter load at $1,921 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 Fort Worth, TX at $708.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Charlotte, NC at 10% of total revenue, whereas Fort Worth, TX relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 15%.
Summary
Fort Worth spends 0.5% more per capita than Charlotte ($86/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $541 | $198 |
| Income Tax | $366 | $851 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,859 | $4,002 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,459 | $3,594 |
| Other | $4,866 | $3,439 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $463 | $156 |
| Highways & Roads | $41 | $317 |
| Public Welfare | $672 | $869 |
| Health | $0 | $235 |
| Hospitals | $1,243 | $1,680 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,571 | $708 |
| Housing | $3,944 | $4,217 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $267 |
| Utilities | $2,244 | $2,674 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,226 | $0 |
| Other | $3,448 | $4,817 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.