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

Winston-Salem, NC vs Charlotte, NC

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

Summary

Charlotte spends 20.9% more per capita than Winston-Salem ($3,309/person difference). Winston-Salem, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 89/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Winston-Salem, NC
Pop. 249,571
A
89/100
Budget Balance97
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
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
Winston-Salem
Charlotte
Total Spending
$3.1B
$13.9B
Spending / Capita
$12,544
$15,854
Total Revenue
$8.2B
$43.5B
Revenue / Capita
$33,050
$49,746
Total Debt
$0
$2.4B
Debt / Capita
$0
$2,690
Population
249,571
875,045
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Winston-Salem$207
Charlotte$463
Highways & Roads
Winston-Salem$0
Charlotte$41
Parks & Recreation
Winston-Salem$801
Charlotte$1,571

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Winston-SalemCharlotte
Sales Tax
$297
$541
Income Tax
$521
$366
Intergovernmental
$2,560
$1,859
Charges & Fees
$2,604
$2,459
Other
$3,138
$4,866

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Winston-SalemCharlotte
Fire Protection
$207
$463
Highways & Roads
$0
$41
Public Welfare
$632
$672
Hospitals
$875
$1,243
Parks & Recreation
$801
$1,571
Housing
$3,260
$3,944
Sewerage
$180
$0
Utilities
$2,767
$2,244
Interest on Debt
$865
$2,226
Other
$2,959
$3,448
A
Winston-Salem, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 89/100
Excellent fiscal health
C
Charlotte, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 63/100
Average fiscal health

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