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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Charlotte, NC vs San Jose, CA

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

San Jose spends 11.6% more per capita than Charlotte ($2,081/person difference). San Jose, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Charlotte, NC
Pop. 875,045
C
63/100
Budget Balance71
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
San Jose, CA
Pop. 1,001,176
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency98
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Charlotte
San Jose
Total Spending
$13.9B
$18.0B
Spending / Capita
$15,854
$17,934
Total Revenue
$43.5B
$38.1B
Revenue / Capita
$49,746
$38,091
Total Debt
$2.4B
$0
Debt / Capita
$2,690
$0
Population
875,045
1,001,176
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Charlotte$463
San Jose$0
Highways & Roads
Charlotte$41
San Jose$0
Parks & Recreation
Charlotte$1,571
San Jose$1,424
Health
Charlotte$0
San Jose$609

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

CharlotteSan Jose
Property Tax
$0
$40
Sales Tax
$541
$315
Income Tax
$366
$1,935
Intergovernmental
$1,859
$2,680
Charges & Fees
$2,459
$608
Other
$4,866
$3,519

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

CharlotteSan Jose
Fire Protection
$463
$0
Highways & Roads
$41
$0
Public Welfare
$672
$810
Health
$0
$609
Hospitals
$1,243
$1,254
Parks & Recreation
$1,571
$1,424
Housing
$3,944
$4,897
Sewerage
$0
$161
Utilities
$2,244
$2,533
Interest on Debt
$2,226
$0
Other
$3,448
$6,247
C
Charlotte, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health
A
San Jose, CA
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health

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