Fayetteville, NC vs Winston-Salem, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fayetteville, NC and Winston-Salem, NC spend within 12.0% of each other per resident — $14,049 versus $12,544 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Winston-Salem, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 89/100 (grade A) against 70/100 (grade B) for Fayetteville, NC — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Winston-Salem, NC reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Fayetteville, NC carries $1,749 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Fayetteville, NC at $1,062 per resident and in Winston-Salem, NC at $801.
They also fund themselves differently: charges and fees is the largest single revenue source in Fayetteville, NC at 9% of total revenue, whereas Winston-Salem, NC relies most on other revenue at 9%.
Summary
Fayetteville spends 12.0% more per capita than Winston-Salem ($1,505/person difference). Winston-Salem, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 89/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $124 | $297 |
| Income Tax | $717 | $521 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,555 | $2,560 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,488 | $2,604 |
| Other | $3,474 | $3,138 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $196 | $207 |
| Public Welfare | $378 | $632 |
| Hospitals | $319 | $875 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,062 | $801 |
| Housing | $2,914 | $3,260 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $180 |
| Utilities | $3,100 | $2,767 |
| Interest on Debt | $628 | $865 |
| Other | $5,454 | $2,959 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.