Charlotte, NC vs Los Angeles, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Los Angeles, CA outspends Charlotte, NC by a wide margin per resident — $85,432 versus $15,854, a 439% 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 47/100 (grade D) for Los Angeles, CA — a 16-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles, CA leads with police at $4,111.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 10% of total revenue in Charlotte, NC and 51% in Los Angeles, CA.
Summary
Los Angeles spends 81.4% more per capita than Charlotte ($69,579/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 | $64 |
| Sales Tax | $541 | $77 |
| Income Tax | $366 | $307 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,859 | $134 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,459 | $459 |
| Other | $4,866 | $9,048 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $4,111 |
| Fire Protection | $463 | $1,057 |
| Highways & Roads | $41 | $503 |
| Education | $0 | $829 |
| Public Welfare | $672 | $1,286 |
| Health | $0 | $409 |
| Hospitals | $1,243 | $2,135 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,571 | $1,347 |
| Housing | $3,944 | $6,325 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $34 |
| Utilities | $2,244 | $21,992 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,226 | $630 |
| General Admin | $0 | $11,586 |
| Other | $3,448 | $33,189 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.