Greensboro, NC vs Cary, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Greensboro, NC spends 21% more per resident than Cary, NC: $19,352 against $16,057. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Cary, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 70/100 (grade B) against 58/100 (grade C) for Greensboro, NC — a 12-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Cary, NC carries the lighter load at $582 per resident versus $1,773 for Greensboro, NC. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Greensboro, NC at $3,225 per resident and in Cary, NC at $1,581.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Greensboro, NC at 12% of total revenue, whereas Cary, NC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 100%.
Summary
Greensboro spends 20.5% more per capita than Cary ($3,295/person difference). Cary, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 70/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $2,502 | $493 |
| Income Tax | $801 | $801 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,640 | $26,541 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,498 | $1,981 |
| Other | $2,691 | $3,182 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $340 | $353 |
| Highways & Roads | $570 | $0 |
| Education | $33 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,134 | $58 |
| Health | $329 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $911 | $322 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,225 | $1,581 |
| Housing | $3,186 | $1,880 |
| Sewerage | $207 | $338 |
| Utilities | $2,932 | $3,759 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,328 | $733 |
| Other | $5,155 | $7,034 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.