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

Portland, OR vs Charlotte, NC

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

Summary

Portland spends 49.3% more per capita than Charlotte ($7,821/person difference). Both cities share the same Fiscal Health Score.

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Portland, OR
Pop. 646,101
C
63/100
Budget Balance83
Debt Burden7
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency72
Revenue Diversity100
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
Portland
Charlotte
Total Spending
$15.3B
$13.9B
Spending / Capita
$23,675
$15,854
Total Revenue
$31.0B
$43.5B
Revenue / Capita
$47,970
$49,746
Total Debt
$1.0B
$2.4B
Debt / Capita
$1,574
$2,690
Population
646,101
875,045
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Portland$1,700
Charlotte$463
Highways & Roads
Portland$139
Charlotte$41
Parks & Recreation
Portland$2,477
Charlotte$1,571

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

PortlandCharlotte
Sales Tax
$1,695
$541
Income Tax
$130
$366
Intergovernmental
$8,979
$1,859
Charges & Fees
$3,883
$2,459
Other
$7,916
$4,866

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

PortlandCharlotte
Fire Protection
$1,700
$463
Highways & Roads
$139
$41
Public Welfare
$3,607
$672
Hospitals
$2,893
$1,243
Parks & Recreation
$2,477
$1,571
Housing
$3,694
$3,944
Sewerage
$630
$0
Utilities
$1,845
$2,244
Interest on Debt
$0
$2,226
Other
$6,689
$3,448
C
Portland, OR
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health
C
Charlotte, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health

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