Charlotte, NC vs Philadelphia, PA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Charlotte, NC by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $15,854, a 255% 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 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Philadelphia, PA carries the lighter load at $1,069 per resident versus $2,690 for Charlotte, NC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Charlotte, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,571 per resident, while Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Charlotte, NC at 10% of total revenue, whereas Philadelphia, PA relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 16%.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 71.8% more per capita than Charlotte ($40,418/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)
| Sales Tax | $541 | $107 |
| Income Tax | $366 | $8 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,859 | $6,288 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,459 | $2,790 |
| Other | $4,866 | $4,029 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,505 |
| Fire Protection | $463 | $7,082 |
| Highways & Roads | $41 | $1,215 |
| Public Welfare | $672 | $1,456 |
| Health | $0 | $229 |
| Hospitals | $1,243 | $4,048 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,571 | $593 |
| Housing | $3,944 | $4,902 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $325 |
| Utilities | $2,244 | $4,222 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,226 | $3 |
| Other | $3,448 | $30,692 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.