Skip to main content
Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Raleigh, NC

Population: 465,517 (2022) · Large Cities (250K+)

B
76/100

Good fiscal health — above-average across most metrics

Total Spending
$6.5B
Per Capita
$13,911
Total Revenue
$13.9B
Total Debt
$421.6M

Spending Breakdown

Other
26.2%$1.7B
Housing & Community Development
19.5%$1.3B
Utilities
17.7%$1.1B
Interest on Debt
10.9%$704.3M
Parks & Recreation
10.0%$647.5M
Hospitals
4.8%$311.4M
Public Welfare
3.6%$231.6M
Highways & Roads
3.2%$208.7M
Sewerage
2.0%$131.0M
Fire Protection
2.0%$129.0M
Education
0.0%$3.0M

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

Sales Tax
2.9%$399.6M
Income Tax
2.7%$375.4M
Intergovernmental
47.2%$6.6B
Charges & Fees
9.0%$1.2B
Other
15.8%$2.2B

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection$277/person
Highways & Roads$448/person
Parks & Recreation$1,391/person
Education$6/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)82/100
Debt Burden (20%)68/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)100/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)67/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Debt Overview

Total Debt$421.6M
Long-Term Debt$287.5M
Debt Per Capita$906
Cash & Securities$134.2M

Compare Cities

See how Raleigh stacks up against another city.

vs Charlotte, NCvs Greensboro, NCvs Durham, 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

Greensboro, NC

Pop. 297K

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

Durham, NC

Pop. 284K

B
Total Spending
$8.9B
Per Capita
$31,264

Winston-Salem, NC

Pop. 250K

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

Compare Raleigh With

Charlotte, NC

Spending: $15,854/person · Grade: C

Greensboro, NC

Spending: $19,352/person · Grade: C

Durham, NC

Spending: $31,264/person · Grade: B

Winston-Salem, NC

Spending: $12,544/person · Grade: A

Frequently Asked Questions

Raleigh, NC spends $13,911 per resident, based on total expenditures of $6.5B for a population of 465,517. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of B (76/100).

Raleigh, NC has total expenditures of $6.5B and total revenue of $13.9B. The city carries $421.6M in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Raleigh, 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.

Raleigh, NC has a Fiscal Health Score of B (76/100). 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.

Last updated: