San Diego, CA vs Charlotte, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Diego, CA outspends Charlotte, NC by a wide margin per resident — $43,306 versus $15,854, a 173% 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 53/100 (grade C) for San Diego, CA — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
San Diego, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Charlotte, NC carries $2,690 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: San Diego, CA leads with police at $3,335 per resident, while Charlotte, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,571.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on other revenue — 39% of total revenue in San Diego, CA and 10% in Charlotte, NC.
Summary
San Diego spends 173.2% more per capita than Charlotte ($27,453/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)
| Property Tax | $124 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $63 | $541 |
| Income Tax | $194 | $366 |
| Intergovernmental | $57 | $1,859 |
| Charges & Fees | $14 | $2,459 |
| Other | $3,801 | $4,866 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,335 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $1,278 | $463 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,408 | $41 |
| Education | $2,005 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $700 | $672 |
| Health | $411 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,243 |
| Parks & Recreation | $436 | $1,571 |
| Housing | $4,476 | $3,944 |
| Sewerage | $43 | $0 |
| Utilities | $11,704 | $2,244 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $2,226 |
| Other | $17,509 | $3,448 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.