Albuquerque, NM vs Raleigh, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Albuquerque, NM spends 24% more per resident than Raleigh, NC: $17,237 against $13,911. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Albuquerque, NM edges Raleigh, NC on the Fiscal Health Score by 5 points — 81/100 (grade A) to 76/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Albuquerque, NM carries the lighter load at $613 per resident versus $906 for Raleigh, NC. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Albuquerque, NM at $1,990 per resident and in Raleigh, NC at $1,391.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Albuquerque, NM at 11% of total revenue, whereas Raleigh, NC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 47%.
Summary
Albuquerque spends 23.9% more per capita than Raleigh ($3,326/person difference). Albuquerque, NM has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 81/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $36 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $355 | $858 |
| Income Tax | $1,580 | $806 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,897 | $14,128 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,633 | $2,681 |
| Other | $2,174 | $4,740 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $440 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $172 | $448 |
| Education | $0 | $6 |
| Public Welfare | $419 | $498 |
| Health | $291 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $328 | $669 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,990 | $1,391 |
| Housing | $4,080 | $2,712 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $281 |
| Utilities | $5,212 | $2,469 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,096 | $1,513 |
| Other | $3,209 | $3,646 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.