High Point, NC vs Wilmington, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
High Point, NC spends 19% more per resident than Wilmington, NC: $16,038 against $13,444. That gap is large enough to show up across most functional budget categories below.
Wilmington, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 90/100 (grade A) against 51/100 (grade C) for High Point, NC — a 39-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Wilmington, NC reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while High Point, NC carries $1,152 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in High Point, NC at $1,139 per resident and in Wilmington, NC at $966.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in High Point, NC and 9% in Wilmington, NC.
Summary
High Point spends 19.3% more per capita than Wilmington ($2,595/person difference). Wilmington, NC has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 90/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $27 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $370 | $689 |
| Income Tax | $1,303 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $26,879 | $2,051 |
| Charges & Fees | $1,954 | $0 |
| Other | $3,948 | $1,201 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $74 | $305 |
| Highways & Roads | $180 | $269 |
| Education | $29 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,075 | $811 |
| Health | $487 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $1,098 | $1,195 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,139 | $966 |
| Housing | $3,049 | $3,380 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $88 |
| Utilities | $2,301 | $1,119 |
| Interest on Debt | $327 | $320 |
| Other | $6,278 | $4,991 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.