Durham, NC vs Raleigh, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Durham, NC outspends Raleigh, NC by a wide margin per resident — $31,264 versus $13,911, a 125% 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 66/100 (grade B) for Durham, NC — a 10-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Durham, NC reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Raleigh, NC carries $906 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Durham, NC leads with education at $17,100 per resident, while Raleigh, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,391.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 39% of total revenue in Durham, NC and 47% in Raleigh, NC.
Summary
Durham spends 124.7% more per capita than Raleigh ($17,353/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 | $0 | $858 |
| Income Tax | $164 | $806 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,775 | $14,128 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,681 |
| Other | $924 | $4,740 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $921 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $682 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $461 | $448 |
| Education | $17,100 | $6 |
| Public Welfare | $0 | $498 |
| Health | $517 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $159 | $669 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $1,391 |
| Housing | $1,169 | $2,712 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $281 |
| Utilities | $2,350 | $2,469 |
| Interest on Debt | $32 | $1,513 |
| General Admin | $43 | $0 |
| Other | $7,830 | $3,646 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.