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

Atlanta, GA vs Raleigh, NC

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

Summary

Atlanta spends 83.0% more per capita than Raleigh ($11,546/person difference). Atlanta, GA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 85/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Atlanta, GA
Pop. 494,838
A
85/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency64
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Raleigh, NC
Pop. 465,517
B
76/100
Budget Balance82
Debt Burden68
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity67
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Atlanta
Raleigh
Total Spending
$12.6B
$6.5B
Spending / Capita
$25,457
$13,911
Total Revenue
$77.6B
$13.9B
Revenue / Capita
$156,803
$29,940
Total Debt
$0
$421.6M
Debt / Capita
$0
$906
Population
494,838
465,517
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Atlanta$315
Raleigh$0
Fire Protection
Atlanta$464
Raleigh$277
Highways & Roads
Atlanta$513
Raleigh$448
Parks & Recreation
Atlanta$1,274
Raleigh$1,391
Education
Atlanta$25
Raleigh$6

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

AtlantaRaleigh
Property Tax
$419
$0
Sales Tax
$0
$858
Income Tax
$1,292
$806
Intergovernmental
$9,121
$14,128
Charges & Fees
$5,645
$2,681
Other
$5,461
$4,740

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

AtlantaRaleigh
Police
$315
$0
Fire Protection
$464
$277
Highways & Roads
$513
$448
Education
$25
$6
Public Welfare
$1,587
$498
Hospitals
$55
$669
Parks & Recreation
$1,274
$1,391
Housing
$4,594
$2,712
Sewerage
$343
$281
Utilities
$8,026
$2,469
Interest on Debt
$0
$1,513
Other
$8,262
$3,646
A
Atlanta, GA
Fiscal Health Score: 85/100
Excellent fiscal health
B
Raleigh, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 76/100
Good fiscal health

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