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

Seattle, WA vs Charlotte, NC

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

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

City A
Seattle, WA
Pop. 734,603
C
61/100
Budget Balance69
Debt Burden50
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency22
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
Seattle
Charlotte
Total Spending
$25.3B
$13.9B
Spending / Capita
$34,463
$15,854
Total Revenue
$56.5B
$43.5B
Revenue / Capita
$76,958
$49,746
Total Debt
$808.1M
$2.4B
Debt / Capita
$1,100
$2,690
Population
734,603
875,045
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Seattle$210
Charlotte$463
Highways & Roads
Seattle$0
Charlotte$41
Parks & Recreation
Seattle$3,923
Charlotte$1,571
Education
Seattle$1,461
Charlotte$0
Health
Seattle$1,131
Charlotte$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

SeattleCharlotte
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)

SeattleCharlotte
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
C
Seattle, WA
Fiscal Health Score: 61/100
Average fiscal health
C
Charlotte, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health

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