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

Fayetteville, NC vs Wilmington, NC

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

Summary

Fayetteville spends 4.5% more per capita than Wilmington ($606/person difference). Wilmington, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Fayetteville, NC
Pop. 208,697
B
70/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden0
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency97
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50
City B
Wilmington, NC
Pop. 116,933
A
90/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity100
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Fayetteville
Wilmington
Total Spending
$2.9B
$1.6B
Spending / Capita
$14,049
$13,444
Total Revenue
$8.5B
$2.6B
Revenue / Capita
$40,860
$22,288
Total Debt
$365.1M
$0
Debt / Capita
$1,749
$0
Population
208,697
116,933
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Fire Protection
Fayetteville$196
Wilmington$305
Highways & Roads
Fayetteville$0
Wilmington$269
Parks & Recreation
Fayetteville$1,062
Wilmington$966

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

FayettevilleWilmington
Sales Tax
$124
$689
Income Tax
$717
$0
Intergovernmental
$1,555
$2,051
Charges & Fees
$3,488
$0
Other
$3,474
$1,201

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

FayettevilleWilmington
Fire Protection
$196
$305
Highways & Roads
$0
$269
Public Welfare
$378
$811
Hospitals
$319
$1,195
Parks & Recreation
$1,062
$966
Housing
$2,914
$3,380
Sewerage
$0
$88
Utilities
$3,100
$1,119
Interest on Debt
$628
$320
Other
$5,454
$4,991
B
Fayetteville, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 70/100
Good fiscal health
A
Wilmington, NC
Fiscal Health Score: 90/100
Excellent fiscal health

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