Long Beach, CA vs Raleigh, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Long Beach, CA outspends Raleigh, NC by a wide margin per resident — $34,250 versus $13,911, a 146% 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 67/100 (grade B) for Long Beach, CA — a 9-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Long Beach, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Raleigh, NC carries $906 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Long Beach, CA at $698 per resident and in Raleigh, NC at $1,391.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Long Beach, CA at 12% of total revenue, whereas Raleigh, NC relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 47%.
Summary
Long Beach spends 146.2% more per capita than Raleigh ($20,339/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)
| Sales Tax | $36 | $858 |
| Income Tax | $1,760 | $806 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,688 | $14,128 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,424 | $2,681 |
| Other | $8,836 | $4,740 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $0 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $448 |
| Education | $0 | $6 |
| Public Welfare | $1,317 | $498 |
| Health | $477 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,751 | $669 |
| Parks & Recreation | $698 | $1,391 |
| Housing | $5,782 | $2,712 |
| Sewerage | $86 | $281 |
| Utilities | $3,889 | $2,469 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,718 | $1,513 |
| Other | $16,533 | $3,646 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.