Memphis, TN vs Charlotte, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Memphis, TN spends 39% more per resident than Charlotte, NC: $22,111 against $15,854. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Memphis, TN edges Charlotte, NC on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 65/100 (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, Memphis, TN carries the lighter load at $303 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 Memphis, TN at $1,397 per resident and in Charlotte, NC at $1,571.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Memphis, TN at 100% of total revenue, whereas Charlotte, NC relies most on other revenue at 10%.
Summary
Memphis spends 39.5% more per capita than Charlotte ($6,257/person difference). Memphis, TN 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 | $10 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $496 | $541 |
| Income Tax | $1,218 | $366 |
| Intergovernmental | $34,065 | $1,859 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,077 | $2,459 |
| Other | $3,994 | $4,866 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $469 | $463 |
| Highways & Roads | $277 | $41 |
| Public Welfare | $630 | $672 |
| Health | $391 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,677 | $1,243 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,397 | $1,571 |
| Housing | $4,683 | $3,944 |
| Utilities | $2,578 | $2,244 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,158 | $2,226 |
| Other | $8,850 | $3,448 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.