Greensboro, NC vs Durham, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Durham, NC outspends Greensboro, NC by a wide margin per resident — $31,264 versus $19,352, a 62% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Durham, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 66/100 (grade B) against 58/100 (grade C) for Greensboro, NC — a 8-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Durham, NC reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Greensboro, NC carries $1,773 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Greensboro, NC leads with parks and recreation at $3,225 per resident, while Durham, NC leads with education at $17,100.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Greensboro, NC at 12% of total revenue, whereas Durham, NC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 39%.
Summary
Durham spends 38.1% more per capita than Greensboro ($11,912/person difference). Durham, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 66/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $2,502 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $801 | $164 |
| Intergovernmental | $2,640 | $6,775 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,498 | $0 |
| Other | $2,691 | $924 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $921 |
| Fire Protection | $340 | $682 |
| Highways & Roads | $570 | $461 |
| Education | $33 | $17,100 |
| Public Welfare | $1,134 | $0 |
| Health | $329 | $517 |
| Hospitals | $911 | $159 |
| Parks & Recreation | $3,225 | $0 |
| Housing | $3,186 | $1,169 |
| Sewerage | $207 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,932 | $2,350 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,328 | $32 |
| General Admin | $0 | $43 |
| Other | $5,155 | $7,830 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.