Concord, NC vs Wilmington, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Concord, NC spends 21% more per resident than Wilmington, NC: $16,213 against $13,444. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Wilmington, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 54/100 (grade C) for Concord, NC — a 36-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Wilmington, NC reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Concord, NC carries $222 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Concord, NC at $981 per resident and in Wilmington, NC at $966.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Concord, NC and 9% in Wilmington, NC.
Summary
Concord spends 20.6% more per capita than Wilmington ($2,769/person difference). Wilmington, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $15 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $348 | $689 |
| Income Tax | $149 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,704 | $2,051 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,794 | $0 |
| Other | $2,455 | $1,201 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $242 | $305 |
| Highways & Roads | $8 | $269 |
| Public Welfare | $1,019 | $811 |
| Hospitals | $2,283 | $1,195 |
| Parks & Recreation | $981 | $966 |
| Housing | $2,735 | $3,380 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $88 |
| Utilities | $3,088 | $1,119 |
| Interest on Debt | $46 | $320 |
| Other | $5,812 | $4,991 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.