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

Durham, NC

Population: 284,094 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

B
66/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$8.9B
Per Capita
$31,264
Total Revenue
$4.9B
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Education
54.7%$4.9B
Other
25.0%$2.2B
Utilities
7.5%$667.6M
Housing & Community Development
3.7%$332.1M
Police
2.9%$261.8M
Fire Protection
2.2%$193.7M
Health
1.7%$147.0M
Highways & Roads
1.5%$130.8M
Hospitals
0.5%$45.3M
General Administration
0.1%$12.2M
Interest on Debt
0.1%$9.0M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Income Tax
1.0%$46.7M
Intergovernmental
39.3%$1.9B
Other
5.4%$262.4M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$921/person
Fire Protection$682/person
Highways & Roads$461/person
Education$17,100/person
Health$517/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)43/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)37/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)95/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Durham stacks up against another city.

vs Charlotte, NCvs Raleigh, NCvs Greensboro, NC
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in North Carolina

Charlotte, NC

Pop. 875K

C
Total Spending
$13.9B
Per Capita
$15,854

Raleigh, NC

Pop. 466K

B
Total Spending
$6.5B
Per Capita
$13,911

Greensboro, NC

Pop. 297K

C
Total Spending
$5.8B
Per Capita
$19,352

Winston-Salem, NC

Pop. 250K

A
Total Spending
$3.1B
Per Capita
$12,544

Compare Durham With

Charlotte, NC

Spending: $15,854/person · Grade: C

Raleigh, NC

Spending: $13,911/person · Grade: B

Greensboro, NC

Spending: $19,352/person · Grade: C

Winston-Salem, NC

Spending: $12,544/person · Grade: A

Frequently Asked Questions

Durham, NC spends $31,264 per resident, based on total expenditures of $8.9B for a population of 284,094. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (66/100).

Durham, NC has total expenditures of $8.9B and total revenue of $4.9B. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Durham, NC employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Durham, NC has a Fiscal Health Score of B (66/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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