Greenville, SC vs North Charleston, SC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Greenville, SC outspends North Charleston, SC by a wide margin per resident — $43,093 versus $12,917, a 234% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
North Charleston, SC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 46/100 (grade D) for Greenville, SC — a 34-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Greenville, SC leads with police at $4,914 per resident, while North Charleston, SC leads with fire protection at $1,323.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Greenville, SC and 100% in North Charleston, SC.
Summary
Greenville spends 233.6% more per capita than North Charleston ($30,176/person difference). North Charleston, SC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $1,988 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $643 | $231 |
| Income Tax | $1,116 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $17,967 | $23,753 |
| Other | $4,746 | $632 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,914 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $2,341 | $1,323 |
| Highways & Roads | $842 | $867 |
| Public Welfare | $1,226 | $0 |
| Health | $3,014 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $159 | $194 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,637 | $987 |
| Housing | $11,807 | $3,880 |
| Sewerage | $551 | $274 |
| Utilities | $3,041 | $650 |
| Other | $12,562 | $4,742 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.