Greenville, SC vs Columbia, SC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Greenville, SC outspends Columbia, SC by a wide margin per resident — $43,093 versus $19,896, a 117% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Columbia, SC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 65/100 (grade B) against 46/100 (grade D) for Greenville, SC — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Greenville, SC reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Columbia, SC carries $1,389 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Greenville, SC leads with police at $4,914 per resident, while Columbia, SC leads with parks and recreation at $1,265.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Greenville, SC at 100% of total revenue, whereas Columbia, SC relies most on charges and fees at 13%.
Summary
Greenville spends 116.6% more per capita than Columbia ($23,197/person difference). Columbia, SC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,988 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $643 | $623 |
| Income Tax | $1,116 | $42 |
| Intergovernmental | $17,967 | $6,842 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $8,276 |
| Other | $4,746 | $6,537 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,914 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $2,341 | $467 |
| Highways & Roads | $842 | $454 |
| Public Welfare | $1,226 | $433 |
| Health | $3,014 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $159 | $1,042 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,637 | $1,265 |
| Housing | $11,807 | $3,604 |
| Sewerage | $551 | $141 |
| Utilities | $3,041 | $4,665 |
| Other | $12,562 | $7,824 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.