Charlotte, NC vs Jacksonville, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Jacksonville, FL outspends Charlotte, NC by a wide margin per resident — $31,456 versus $15,854, a 98% 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 53/100 (grade C) for Jacksonville, FL — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Charlotte, NC carries the lighter load at $2,690 per resident versus $2,821 for Jacksonville, FL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Charlotte, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,571 per resident, while Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Charlotte, NC at 10% of total revenue, whereas Jacksonville, FL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
Jacksonville spends 49.6% more per capita than Charlotte ($15,603/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 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $541 | $233 |
| Income Tax | $366 | $762 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,859 | $7,348 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,459 | $2,119 |
| Other | $4,866 | $4,705 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $18 |
| Fire Protection | $463 | $9,436 |
| Highways & Roads | $41 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $672 | $486 |
| Health | $0 | $332 |
| Hospitals | $1,243 | $557 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,571 | $1,329 |
| Housing | $3,944 | $5,572 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $176 |
| Utilities | $2,244 | $1,835 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,226 | $1,942 |
| Other | $3,448 | $9,771 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.