Charlotte, NC vs Miami, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Miami, FL outspends Charlotte, NC by a wide margin per resident — $28,195 versus $15,854, a 78% 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 Miami, FL — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Miami, FL 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 Miami, FL leads with fire protection at $7,399.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Charlotte, NC at 10% of total revenue, whereas Miami, FL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Miami spends 43.8% more per capita than Charlotte ($12,342/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 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $541 | $1,647 |
| Income Tax | $366 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,859 | $15,037 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,459 | $0 |
| Other | $4,866 | $1,399 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $463 | $7,399 |
| Highways & Roads | $41 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $672 | $109 |
| Hospitals | $1,243 | $1,499 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,571 | $1,783 |
| Housing | $3,944 | $6,840 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $699 |
| Utilities | $2,244 | $1,295 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,226 | $0 |
| Other | $3,448 | $8,572 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.