Seattle, WA vs Charlotte, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Seattle, WA outspends Charlotte, NC by a wide margin per resident — $34,463 versus $15,854, a 117% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Charlotte, NC edges Seattle, WA on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 63/100 (grade C) to 61/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Seattle, WA carries the lighter load at $1,100 per resident versus $2,690 for Charlotte, NC. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Seattle, WA at $3,923 per resident and in Charlotte, NC at $1,571.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Seattle, WA at 13% of total revenue, whereas Charlotte, NC relies most on other revenue at 10%.
Summary
Seattle spends 117.4% more per capita than Charlotte ($18,609/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 | $1,831 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $1,094 | $541 |
| Income Tax | $3,496 | $366 |
| Intergovernmental | $9,846 | $1,859 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,960 | $2,459 |
| Other | $8,544 | $4,866 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $210 | $463 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $41 |
| Education | $1,461 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $3,439 | $672 |
| Health | $1,131 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,871 | $1,243 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,923 | $1,571 |
| Housing | $3,727 | $3,944 |
| Sewerage | $952 | $0 |
| Utilities | $6,489 | $2,244 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $2,226 |
| Other | $11,260 | $3,448 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.