Sparks, NV vs Carson, NV
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Carson, NV outspends Sparks, NV by a wide margin per resident — $24,832 versus $9,634, a 158% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Sparks, NV edges Carson, NV on the Fiscal Health Score by 1 points — 67/100 (grade B) to 66/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Neither city reports outstanding debt per resident in its current Census filing, which removes debt service as a point of difference between them. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Sparks, NV leads with parks and recreation at $873 per resident, while Carson, NV leads with fire protection at $2,831.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Sparks, NV at 100% of total revenue, whereas Carson, NV relies most on other revenue at 34%.
Summary
Carson spends 61.2% more per capita than Sparks ($15,198/person difference). Sparks, NV has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $74 | $225 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,260 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,498 | $953 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,983 |
| Other | $3,990 | $9,278 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,045 |
| Fire Protection | $629 | $2,831 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $337 |
| Education | $0 | $23 |
| Public Welfare | $387 | $2,268 |
| Health | $0 | $259 |
| Hospitals | $231 | $400 |
| Parks & Recreation | $873 | $1,900 |
| Housing | $3,512 | $4,279 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $470 |
| Utilities | $0 | $2,620 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $322 |
| Other | $4,002 | $8,079 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.