Washington, DC vs Charlotte, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Washington, DC outspends Charlotte, NC by a wide margin per resident — $243,341 versus $15,854, a 1435% 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 41/100 (grade D) for Washington, DC — a 22-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Washington, DC carries the lighter load at $2,516 per resident versus $2,690 for Charlotte, NC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Washington, DC leads with education at $53,224 per resident, while Charlotte, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,571.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in Washington, DC at 7% of total revenue, whereas Charlotte, NC relies most on other revenue at 10%.
Summary
Washington spends 1434.9% more per capita than Charlotte ($227,487/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 | $25 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $991 | $541 |
| Income Tax | $141 | $366 |
| Intergovernmental | $18,754 | $1,859 |
| Charges & Fees | $4,070 | $2,459 |
| Other | $11,518 | $4,866 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $4,183 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $4,262 | $463 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,435 | $41 |
| Education | $53,224 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,498 | $672 |
| Health | $1,009 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $17,668 | $1,243 |
| Parks & Recreation | $5,459 | $1,571 |
| Housing | $10,296 | $3,944 |
| Sewerage | $2,881 | $0 |
| Utilities | $88,990 | $2,244 |
| Interest on Debt | $58 | $2,226 |
| General Admin | $3,225 | $0 |
| Other | $48,155 | $3,448 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.