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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Phoenix, AZ vs Charlotte, NC

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Summary

Charlotte spends 0.4% more per capita than Phoenix ($61/person difference). Phoenix, AZ has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Phoenix, AZ
Pop. 1,609,456
B
67/100
Budget Balance93
Debt Burden45
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
Charlotte, NC
Pop. 875,045
C
63/100
Budget Balance71
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Phoenix
Charlotte
Total Spending
$25.4B
$13.9B
Spending / Capita
$15,793
$15,854
Total Revenue
$81.6B
$43.5B
Revenue / Capita
$50,709
$49,746
Total Debt
$1.9B
$2.4B
Debt / Capita
$1,156
$2,690
Population
1,609,456
875,045
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Phoenix$170
Charlotte$463
Highways & Roads
Phoenix$86
Charlotte$41
Parks & Recreation
Phoenix$652
Charlotte$1,571
Education
Phoenix$214
Charlotte$0
Health
Phoenix$258
Charlotte$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

PhoenixCharlotte
Property Tax
$7
$0
Sales Tax
$338
$541
Income Tax
$1,260
$366
Intergovernmental
$50,709
$1,859
Charges & Fees
$2,998
$2,459
Other
$2,038
$4,866

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

PhoenixCharlotte
Fire Protection
$170
$463
Highways & Roads
$86
$41
Education
$214
$0
Public Welfare
$507
$672
Health
$258
$0
Hospitals
$1,521
$1,243
Parks & Recreation
$652
$1,571
Housing
$3,879
$3,944
Sewerage
$388
$0
Utilities
$2,480
$2,244
Interest on Debt
$1,760
$2,226
Other
$3,878
$3,448
B
Phoenix, AZ
Fiscal Health Score: 67/100
Good fiscal health
C
Charlotte, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health

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