Charlotte, NC vs Oakland, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oakland, CA outspends Charlotte, NC by a wide margin per resident — $30,055 versus $15,854, a 90% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Oakland, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 72/100 (grade B) against 63/100 (grade C) for Charlotte, NC — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Oakland, 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 Oakland, CA leads with health at $1,016.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Charlotte, NC at 10% of total revenue, whereas Oakland, CA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Oakland spends 47.3% more per capita than Charlotte ($14,201/person difference). Oakland, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 72/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $541 | $522 |
| Income Tax | $366 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,859 | $42,277 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,459 | $0 |
| Other | $4,866 | $4,337 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $463 | $1 |
| Highways & Roads | $41 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $672 | $2,426 |
| Health | $0 | $1,016 |
| Hospitals | $1,243 | $2,498 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,571 | $955 |
| Housing | $3,944 | $7,811 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $1,417 |
| Utilities | $2,244 | $0 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,226 | $0 |
| Other | $3,448 | $13,929 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.