Oklahoma City, OK vs Charlotte, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Oklahoma City, OK and Charlotte, NC spend within 14.0% of each other per resident — $18,074 versus $15,854 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Oklahoma City, OK 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, Charlotte, NC carries the lighter load at $2,690 per resident versus $3,520 for Oklahoma City, OK. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Oklahoma City, OK at $2,014 per resident and in Charlotte, NC at $1,571.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Oklahoma City, OK at 19% of total revenue, whereas Charlotte, NC relies most on other revenue at 10%.
Summary
Oklahoma City spends 14.0% more per capita than Charlotte ($2,220/person difference). Oklahoma City, OK has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 65/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $763 | $541 |
| Income Tax | $1,037 | $366 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,852 | $1,859 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,256 | $2,459 |
| Other | $1,836 | $4,866 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $513 | $463 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $41 |
| Public Welfare | $1,525 | $672 |
| Health | $5 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,044 | $1,243 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,014 | $1,571 |
| Housing | $2,857 | $3,944 |
| Utilities | $4,523 | $2,244 |
| Interest on Debt | $707 | $2,226 |
| Other | $3,886 | $3,448 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.