Philadelphia, PA vs Raleigh, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Philadelphia, PA outspends Raleigh, NC by a wide margin per resident — $56,272 versus $13,911, a 305% 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 45/100 (grade D) for Philadelphia, PA — a 31-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Raleigh, NC carries the lighter load at $906 per resident versus $1,069 for Philadelphia, PA. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Philadelphia, PA leads with fire protection at $7,082 per resident, while Raleigh, NC leads with parks and recreation at $1,391.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 16% of total revenue in Philadelphia, PA and 47% in Raleigh, NC.
Summary
Philadelphia spends 304.5% more per capita than Raleigh ($42,361/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 | $107 | $858 |
| Income Tax | $8 | $806 |
| Intergovernmental | $6,288 | $14,128 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,790 | $2,681 |
| Other | $4,029 | $4,740 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,505 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $7,082 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $1,215 | $448 |
| Education | $0 | $6 |
| Public Welfare | $1,456 | $498 |
| Health | $229 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $4,048 | $669 |
| Parks & Recreation | $593 | $1,391 |
| Housing | $4,902 | $2,712 |
| Sewerage | $325 | $281 |
| Utilities | $4,222 | $2,469 |
| Interest on Debt | $3 | $1,513 |
| Other | $30,692 | $3,646 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.