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

Charlotte, NC vs Winston-Salem, NC

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

Summary

Charlotte spends 26.4% more per capita than Winston-Salem ($3,309/person difference). Winston-Salem, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 89/100).

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
Winston-Salem, NC
Pop. 249,571
A
89/100
Budget Balance97
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Charlotte
Winston-Salem
Total Spending
$13.9B
$3.1B
Spending / Capita
$15,854
$12,544
Total Revenue
$43.5B
$8.2B
Revenue / Capita
$49,746
$33,050
Total Debt
$2.4B
$0
Debt / Capita
$2,690
$0
Population
875,045
249,571
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Charlotte$463
Winston-Salem$207
Highways & Roads
Charlotte$41
Winston-Salem$0
Parks & Recreation
Charlotte$1,571
Winston-Salem$801

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

CharlotteWinston-Salem
Sales Tax
$541
$297
Income Tax
$366
$521
Intergovernmental
$1,859
$2,560
Charges & Fees
$2,459
$2,604
Other
$4,866
$3,138

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

CharlotteWinston-Salem
Fire Protection
$463
$207
Highways & Roads
$41
$0
Public Welfare
$672
$632
Hospitals
$1,243
$875
Parks & Recreation
$1,571
$801
Housing
$3,944
$3,260
Sewerage
$0
$180
Utilities
$2,244
$2,767
Interest on Debt
$2,226
$865
Other
$3,448
$2,959
C
Charlotte, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health
A
Winston-Salem, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 89/100
Excellent fiscal health

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