Charlotte, NC vs Wilmington, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Charlotte, NC spends 18% more per resident than Wilmington, NC: $15,854 against $13,444. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Wilmington, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 63/100 (grade C) for Charlotte, NC — a 27-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Wilmington, NC reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Charlotte, NC carries $2,690 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Charlotte, NC at $1,571 per resident and in Wilmington, NC at $966.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Charlotte, NC at 10% of total revenue, whereas Wilmington, NC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 9%.
Summary
Charlotte spends 17.9% more per capita than Wilmington ($2,410/person difference). Wilmington, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $541 | $689 |
| Income Tax | $366 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,859 | $2,051 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,459 | $0 |
| Other | $4,866 | $1,201 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $463 | $305 |
| Highways & Roads | $41 | $269 |
| Public Welfare | $672 | $811 |
| Hospitals | $1,243 | $1,195 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,571 | $966 |
| Housing | $3,944 | $3,380 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $88 |
| Utilities | $2,244 | $1,119 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,226 | $320 |
| Other | $3,448 | $4,991 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.