Fresno, CA vs Charlotte, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fresno, CA outspends Charlotte, NC by a wide margin per resident — $43,387 versus $15,854, a 174% 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 50/100 (grade C) for Fresno, CA — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Fresno, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Charlotte, NC carries $2,690 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Fresno, CA leads with education at $3,942 per resident, while Charlotte, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,571.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 19% of total revenue in Fresno, CA and 10% in Charlotte, NC.
Summary
Fresno spends 173.7% more per capita than Charlotte ($27,534/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)
| Property Tax | $337 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $19 | $541 |
| Income Tax | $501 | $366 |
| Intergovernmental | -$4,470 | $1,859 |
| Charges & Fees | $11 | $2,459 |
| Other | $2,070 | $4,866 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,261 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $568 | $463 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $41 |
| Education | $3,942 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,946 | $672 |
| Health | $599 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,243 |
| Parks & Recreation | $76 | $1,571 |
| Housing | $2,856 | $3,944 |
| Utilities | $15,340 | $2,244 |
| Interest on Debt | $255 | $2,226 |
| Other | $14,545 | $3,448 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.