Philadelphia, PA vs Charlotte, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Charlotte, NC by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $15,854, a 255% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Charlotte, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 63/100 (grade C) against 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 18-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Philadelphia, PA carries the lighter load at $1,069 per resident versus $2,690 for Charlotte, NC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082 per resident, while Charlotte, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,571.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Philadelphia, PA at 16% of total revenue, whereas Charlotte, NC relies most on other revenue at 10%.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 254.9% more per capita than Charlotte ($40,418/person difference). Charlotte, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 63/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $107 | $541 |
| Income Tax | $8 | $366 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,288 | $1,859 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,790 | $2,459 |
| Other | $4,029 | $4,866 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,505 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $7,082 | $463 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,215 | $41 |
| Public Welfare | $1,456 | $672 |
| Health | $229 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $4,048 | $1,243 |
| Parks & Recreation | $593 | $1,571 |
| Housing | $4,902 | $3,944 |
| Sewerage | $325 | $0 |
| Utilities | $4,222 | $2,244 |
| Interest on Debt | $3 | $2,226 |
| Other | $30,692 | $3,448 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.