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

Durham, NC vs Winston-Salem, NC

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

Summary

Durham spends 149.2% more per capita than Winston-Salem ($18,720/person difference). Winston-Salem, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 89/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Durham, NC
Pop. 284,094
B
66/100
Budget Balance43
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency37
Revenue Diversity95
Trend Direction50
City B
Winston-Salem, NC
Pop. 249,571
A
89/100
Budget Balance97
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Durham
Winston-Salem
Total Spending
$8.9B
$3.1B
Spending / Capita
$31,264
$12,544
Total Revenue
$4.9B
$8.2B
Revenue / Capita
$17,235
$33,050
Total Debt
$0
$0
Debt / Capita
$0
$0
Population
284,094
249,571
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Durham$921
Winston-Salem$0
Fire Protection
Durham$682
Winston-Salem$207
Highways & Roads
Durham$461
Winston-Salem$0
Parks & Recreation
Durham$0
Winston-Salem$801
Education
Durham$17,100
Winston-Salem$0
Health
Durham$517
Winston-Salem$0

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

DurhamWinston-Salem
Sales Tax
$0
$297
Income Tax
$164
$521
Intergovernmental
$6,775
$2,560
Charges & Fees
$0
$2,604
Other
$924
$3,138

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

DurhamWinston-Salem
Police
$921
$0
Fire Protection
$682
$207
Highways & Roads
$461
$0
Education
$17,100
$0
Public Welfare
$0
$632
Health
$517
$0
Hospitals
$159
$875
Parks & Recreation
$0
$801
Housing
$1,169
$3,260
Sewerage
$0
$180
Utilities
$2,350
$2,767
Interest on Debt
$32
$865
General Admin
$43
$0
Other
$7,830
$2,959
B
Durham, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 66/100
Good fiscal health
A
Winston-Salem, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 89/100
Excellent fiscal health

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