Jacksonville, FL vs Raleigh, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Jacksonville, FL outspends Raleigh, NC by a wide margin per resident — $31,456 versus $13,911, a 126% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Raleigh, NC holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 76/100 (grade B) against 53/100 (grade C) for Jacksonville, FL — a 23-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Raleigh, NC carries the lighter load at $906 per resident versus $2,821 for Jacksonville, FL. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436 per resident, while Raleigh, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,391.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 14% of total revenue in Jacksonville, FL and 47% in Raleigh, NC.
Summary
Jacksonville spends 126.1% more per capita than Raleigh ($17,545/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)
| Property Tax | $10 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $233 | $858 |
| Income Tax | $762 | $806 |
| Intergovernmental | $7,348 | $14,128 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,119 | $2,681 |
| Other | $4,705 | $4,740 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $18 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $9,436 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $448 |
| Education | $0 | $6 |
| Public Welfare | $486 | $498 |
| Health | $332 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $557 | $669 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,329 | $1,391 |
| Housing | $5,572 | $2,712 |
| Sewerage | $176 | $281 |
| Utilities | $1,835 | $2,469 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,942 | $1,513 |
| Other | $9,771 | $3,646 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.