Boston, MA vs Raleigh, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Boston, MA outspends Raleigh, NC by a wide margin per resident — $72,299 versus $13,911, a 420% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Raleigh, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 76/100 (grade B) against 56/100 (grade C) for Boston, MA — a 20-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Boston, MA carries the lighter load at $445 per resident versus $906 for Raleigh, NC. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Boston, MA leads with education at $30,742 per resident, while Raleigh, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,391.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 17% of total revenue in Boston, MA and 47% in Raleigh, NC.
Summary
Boston spends 419.7% more per capita than Raleigh ($58,388/person difference). Raleigh, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 76/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $78 | $858 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $806 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,357 | $14,128 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,784 | $2,681 |
| Other | $4,557 | $4,740 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,107 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $594 | $448 |
| Education | $30,742 | $6 |
| Public Welfare | $1,110 | $498 |
| Health | $725 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,584 | $669 |
| Parks & Recreation | $711 | $1,391 |
| Housing | $6,614 | $2,712 |
| Sewerage | $355 | $281 |
| Utilities | $3,402 | $2,469 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,513 |
| General Admin | $5,401 | $0 |
| Other | $18,955 | $3,646 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.