Portland, OR vs Raleigh, NC
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Portland, OR outspends Raleigh, NC by a wide margin per resident — $23,675 versus $13,911, a 70% 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 63/100 (grade C) for Portland, OR — a 13-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
On debt, Raleigh, NC carries the lighter load at $906 per resident versus $1,574 for Portland, OR. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in Portland, OR at $2,477 per resident and in Raleigh, NC at $1,391.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 19% of total revenue in Portland, OR and 47% in Raleigh, NC.
Summary
Portland spends 70.2% more per capita than Raleigh ($9,764/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 | $1,695 | $858 |
| Income Tax | $130 | $806 |
| Intergovernmental | $8,979 | $14,128 |
| Charges & Fees | $3,883 | $2,681 |
| Other | $7,916 | $4,740 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Fire Protection | $1,700 | $277 |
| Highways & Roads | $139 | $448 |
| Education | $0 | $6 |
| Public Welfare | $3,607 | $498 |
| Hospitals | $2,893 | $669 |
| Parks & Recreation | $2,477 | $1,391 |
| Housing | $3,694 | $2,712 |
| Sewerage | $630 | $281 |
| Utilities | $1,845 | $2,469 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $1,513 |
| Other | $6,689 | $3,646 |
Compare More Cities
Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.