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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Charlotte, NC vs Houston, TX

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Charlotte spends 10.1% more per capita than Houston ($1,454/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Charlotte, NC
Pop. 875,045
C
63/100
Budget Balance71
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Houston, TX
Pop. 2,296,253
A
83/100
Budget Balance94
Debt Burden72
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Charlotte
Houston
Total Spending
$13.9B
$33.1B
Spending / Capita
$15,854
$14,400
Total Revenue
$43.5B
$127.7B
Revenue / Capita
$49,746
$55,600
Total Debt
$2.4B
$2.0B
Debt / Capita
$2,690
$863
Population
875,045
2,296,253
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Charlotte$463
Houston$295
Highways & Roads
Charlotte$41
Houston$175
Parks & Recreation
Charlotte$1,571
Houston$361
Health
Charlotte$0
Houston$210

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

CharlotteHouston
Sales Tax
$541
$181
Income Tax
$366
$39
Intergovernmental
$1,859
$33
Charges & Fees
$2,459
$3,475
Other
$4,866
$3,960

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

CharlotteHouston
Fire Protection
$463
$295
Highways & Roads
$41
$175
Public Welfare
$672
$533
Health
$0
$210
Hospitals
$1,243
$511
Parks & Recreation
$1,571
$361
Housing
$3,944
$4,288
Sewerage
$0
$386
Utilities
$2,244
$1,339
Interest on Debt
$2,226
$0
Other
$3,448
$6,301
C
Charlotte, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health
A
Houston, TX
Fiscal Health Score: 83/100
Excellent fiscal health

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