Cary, NC vs Raleigh, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Cary, NC spends 15% more per resident than Raleigh, NC: $16,057 against $13,911. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Raleigh, NC edges Cary, NC on the Fiscal Health Score by 6 points — 76/100 (grade B) to 70/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Cary, NC carries the lighter load at $582 per resident versus $906 for Raleigh, NC. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Cary, NC at $1,581 per resident and in Raleigh, NC at $1,391.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Cary, NC and 47% in Raleigh, NC.
Summary
Cary spends 15.4% more per capita than Raleigh ($2,146/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 | $493 | $858 |
| Income Tax | $801 | $806 |
| Intergovernmental | $26,541 | $14,128 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,981 | $2,681 |
| Other | $3,182 | $4,740 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $353 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $448 |
| Education | $0 | $6 |
| Public Welfare | $58 | $498 |
| Hospitals | $322 | $669 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,581 | $1,391 |
| Housing | $1,880 | $2,712 |
| Sewerage | $338 | $281 |
| Utilities | $3,759 | $2,469 |
| Interest on Debt | $733 | $1,513 |
| Other | $7,034 | $3,646 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.