Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN vs Raleigh, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN outspends Raleigh, NC by a wide margin per resident — $48,948 versus $13,911, a 252% 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 47/100 (grade D) for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN — a 29-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Raleigh, NC carries the lighter load at $906 per resident versus $2,292 for Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN leads with education at $21,061 per resident, while Raleigh, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,391.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 10% of total revenue in Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN and 47% in Raleigh, NC.
Summary
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance) spends 251.9% more per capita than Raleigh ($35,037/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 | $373 | $858 |
| Income Tax | $135 | $806 |
| Intergovernmental | $13,787 | $14,128 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,444 | $2,681 |
| Other | $4,617 | $4,740 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,519 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $468 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $11 | $448 |
| Education | $21,061 | $6 |
| Public Welfare | $738 | $498 |
| Health | $672 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $2,100 | $669 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,015 | $1,391 |
| Housing | $4,231 | $2,712 |
| Sewerage | $217 | $281 |
| Utilities | $3,140 | $2,469 |
| Interest on Debt | $1,667 | $1,513 |
| General Admin | $2,081 | $0 |
| Other | $10,028 | $3,646 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.