Houston, TX vs Raleigh, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Houston, TX and Raleigh, NC spend within 3.5% of each other per resident — $14,400 versus $13,911 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Houston, TX edges Raleigh, NC on the Fiscal Health Score by 7 points — 83/100 (grade A) to 76/100 (grade B). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
On debt, Houston, TX carries the lighter load at $863 per resident versus $906 for Raleigh, NC. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Houston, TX at $361 per resident and in Raleigh, NC at $1,391.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Houston, TX at 7% of total revenue, whereas Raleigh, NC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 47%.
Summary
Houston spends 3.5% more per capita than Raleigh ($489/person difference). Houston, TX has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 83/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $181 | $858 |
| Income Tax | $39 | $806 |
| Intergovernmental | $33 | $14,128 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,475 | $2,681 |
| Other | $3,960 | $4,740 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $295 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $175 | $448 |
| Education | $0 | $6 |
| Public Welfare | $533 | $498 |
| Health | $210 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $511 | $669 |
| Parks & Recreation | $361 | $1,391 |
| Housing | $4,288 | $2,712 |
| Sewerage | $386 | $281 |
| Utilities | $1,339 | $2,469 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,513 |
| Other | $6,301 | $3,646 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.