According to the classification of resource-based cities of China, the paper studies the efficiency of carbon emissions of 106 resource-based cities in China which includes 13 growing resource-based cities,58 mature resource-based cities,22 declining resource-based cities and 13 regenerative resource-based cities by comprehensive use of DEA model and SE-SBM model. The study finds that the carbon emission efficiency are significant differences in the different stages of resource-based cities and carbon emission efficiency of the same type of resource-based cities in scale carbon emission efficiency effectiveness, technical effectiveness, scale and overall efficiency gains are still to differentiate performance. By Tobit regression analysis,the results show that the level of economic development, industrial structure and urbanization rate have varying degrees of positive impact on the efficiency of carbon emissions, while energy intensity shows a significant negative correlation with carbon emission efficiency . The paper concludes that improving the carbon emission efficiency should be based on the characteristics and differences of resource-based cities at different stages and adjusted by relevant factors. At last, the paper makes specific recommendations according to the relevant factors and characteristics of the different stages of resource-based cities.