Fayetteville, NC vs Charlotte, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Charlotte, NC and Fayetteville, NC spend within 12.8% of each other per resident — $15,854 versus $14,049 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Fayetteville, NC edges Charlotte, NC on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 70/100 (grade B) to 63/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Fayetteville, NC carries the lighter load at $1,749 per resident versus $2,690 for Charlotte, NC. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Fayetteville, NC at $1,062 per resident and in Charlotte, NC at $1,571.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Fayetteville, NC at 9% of total revenue, whereas Charlotte, NC relies most on other revenue at 10%.
Summary
Charlotte spends 11.4% more per capita than Fayetteville ($1,804/person difference). Fayetteville, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $124 | $541 |
| Income Tax | $717 | $366 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,555 | $1,859 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,488 | $2,459 |
| Other | $3,474 | $4,866 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $196 | $463 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $41 |
| Public Welfare | $378 | $672 |
| Hospitals | $319 | $1,243 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,062 | $1,571 |
| Housing | $2,914 | $3,944 |
| Utilities | $3,100 | $2,244 |
| Interest on Debt | $628 | $2,226 |
| Other | $5,454 | $3,448 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.