Las Vegas, NV vs Carson, NV
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Carson, NV outspends Las Vegas, NV by a wide margin per resident — $24,832 versus $9,085, a 173% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Las Vegas, NV holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 82/100 (grade A) against 66/100 (grade B) for Carson, NV — a 16-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: Las Vegas, NV leads with parks and recreation at $1,028 per resident, while Carson, NV leads with fire protection at $2,831.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 34% of total revenue in Las Vegas, NV and 34% in Carson, NV.
Summary
Carson spends 63.4% more per capita than Las Vegas ($15,746/person difference). Las Vegas, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 82/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $50 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $386 | $225 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,260 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,137 | $953 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,983 |
| Other | $2,806 | $9,278 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $945 | $1,045 |
| Fire Protection | $280 | $2,831 |
| Highways & Roads | $45 | $337 |
| Education | $0 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $705 | $2,268 |
| Health | $0 | $259 |
| Hospitals | $356 | $400 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,028 | $1,900 |
| Housing | $23 | $4,279 |
| Sewerage | $332 | $470 |
| Utilities | $129 | $2,620 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $322 |
| Other | $5,243 | $8,079 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.