Fort Worth, TX vs Raleigh, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Fort Worth, TX and Raleigh, NC spend within 14.6% of each other per resident — $15,939 versus $13,911 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Raleigh, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 76/100 (grade B) against 63/100 (grade C) for Fort Worth, TX — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Raleigh, NC carries the lighter load at $906 per resident versus $1,921 for Fort Worth, TX. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Fort Worth, TX at $708 per resident and in Raleigh, NC at $1,391.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 15% of total revenue in Fort Worth, TX and 47% in Raleigh, NC.
Summary
Fort Worth spends 14.6% more per capita than Raleigh ($2,028/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 | $198 | $858 |
| Income Tax | $851 | $806 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,002 | $14,128 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,594 | $2,681 |
| Other | $3,439 | $4,740 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $156 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $317 | $448 |
| Education | $0 | $6 |
| Public Welfare | $869 | $498 |
| Health | $235 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,680 | $669 |
| Parks & Recreation | $708 | $1,391 |
| Housing | $4,217 | $2,712 |
| Sewerage | $267 | $281 |
| Utilities | $2,674 | $2,469 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,513 |
| Other | $4,817 | $3,646 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.