Charlotte, NC vs Fresno, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA outspends Charlotte, NC by a wide margin per resident — $43,387 versus $15,854, a 174% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Charlotte, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 63/100 (grade C) against 50/100 (grade C) for Fresno, CA — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Fresno, CA 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 Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 10% of total revenue in Charlotte, NC and 19% in Fresno, CA.
Summary
Fresno spends 63.5% more per capita than Charlotte ($27,534/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 | $337 |
| Sales Tax | $541 | $19 |
| Income Tax | $366 | $501 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,859 | -$4,470 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,459 | $11 |
| Other | $4,866 | $2,070 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $3,261 |
| Fire Protection | $463 | $568 |
| Highways & Roads | $41 | $0 |
| Education | $0 | $3,942 |
| Public Welfare | $672 | $1,946 |
| Health | $0 | $599 |
| Hospitals | $1,243 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,571 | $76 |
| Housing | $3,944 | $2,856 |
| Utilities | $2,244 | $15,340 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,226 | $255 |
| Other | $3,448 | $14,545 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.