Summerville, SC vs Columbia, SC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Columbia, SC outspends Summerville, SC by a wide margin per resident — $19,896 versus $9,946, a 100% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Summerville, SC edges Columbia, SC on the Fiscal Health Score by 2 points — 67/100 (grade B) to 65/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Summerville, SC reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Columbia, SC carries $1,389 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Summerville, SC at $631 per resident and in Columbia, SC at $1,265.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Summerville, SC at 84% of total revenue, whereas Columbia, SC relies most on charges and fees at 13%.
Summary
Columbia spends 50.0% more per capita than Summerville ($9,950/person difference). Summerville, SC 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 | $92 | $623 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $42 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,202 | $6,842 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,363 | $8,276 |
| Other | $971 | $6,537 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $152 | $467 |
| Highways & Roads | $527 | $454 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $433 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $1,042 |
| Parks & Recreation | $631 | $1,265 |
| Housing | $2,315 | $3,604 |
| Sewerage | $153 | $141 |
| Utilities | $2,819 | $4,665 |
| Other | $3,350 | $7,824 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.